#very happy about the allay

[my-craft]

Wanted to draw a few of the new spawn eggs

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

I Want You Back

This was originally requested by Anon who asked: "Could you make headcanons where you have an established relationship with the Tokyo Debunker characters but your ex suddenly tries to win you back?" The links to the other houses are below.

Fandom: Tokyo Debunker

Characters: Subaru Kagami, Haku Kusanagi, Zenji Kotodama x gn! Reader (separate)

Frostheim | Vagastrom | Jabberwock | Sinostra | Hotarubi | Obscuary | Mortkranken

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You're happily in a relationship with the Tokyo Debunker characters. So how will they react when your ex suddenly tries to win you back?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, Subaru’s acting skills are really paying off now. He’s composing himself to the best of his abilities while fuming inside.

How dare your ex think they have any chance of winning you back. Don’t they know they don’t deserve someone as wonderful as you? Don’t they know you’re infinitely happier now that you ever were with them?

Regardless, Subaru will ask your permission before he considers confronting your ex. If you give him the go ahead, he’ll invite your ex over for afternoon tea.

As soon as they’re settled in a relaxed, Subaru’s switching in demeanour and subtly threatening your ex with a smile on his face.

If you don’t want him to do anything, he won’t. Not obviously at least. But he’s still got a decent amount of sway in certain circles. Either way, you won’t have to worry about your ex bothering you in the future.

Haku can’t help himself. He’s laughing in your ex’s face. Them? Stand a chance getting you back? Yeah, he didn’t think so.

He doesn’t make it sound overly mean but he makes it very clear that you’re happy with him and there’s no situation where you would leave him for your ex.

Afterwards, when the two of you are alone, Haku will check in with you to make sure you’re okay. He knows what exes can be like and wants to make sure you’re not too badly rattled by the encounter.

He’ll also touch base to make sure you are genuinely happy. He likes to think he knows how to treat you right but checking can’t hurt.

Haku will also reassure you that if your ex tries anything in the future, he’ll be there to help. He’s not going to leave you to deal with that unwanted situation on your own.

Okay, this is a tricky one because Zenji won’t be able to confront your ex directly. He feels horrible standing beside you, unable to do anything but watch as you have to confront your ex yourself.

When they finally leave and you’re alone again, Zenji is throwing himself at your feet begging for forgiveness and checking to see if you’re okay.

He’s also quite worried that you would consider leaving him for your ex. It’s not easy being in a relationship with a ghost after all, he wouldn’t blame you.

But once his fears are allayed, he’s switching tracks and will be singing your praise for the rest of the day for dealing with the situation so well.

But just because he can’t directly confront your ex doesn't mean he isn’t going to defend your honour. It will be a while before your ex gets a good night sleep with all the windows banging and their books falling off the shelves.

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[thewanderingmask]

my submission for the hermitcraft season 10 fan art gallery: Xisuma Eternal! (actual size on left, embiggened version on right)

there are a ton of little thoughts that went into this and i will now go off about them at length (ramble under the cut)

let's start with the image layout and composition! my first idea was to do an homage to the original doom box art because of X's skin, but ultimately I decided on referencing this Eternal cover (hence the title of the piece) because it sparked some stronger ideas in my brain.

i still wanted to keep that link to the original though, so i did my very best to emulate the original logo with X's name - replacing the original texture with binary as one of many references to X's role supporting the technical side of the server.

(for no reason other than my own amusement, the binary in the letters is translated lyrics from X's verse in the hermit gang song. i don't even know how much of that is still visible after lining the letters, but i liked putting it there)

i've only been watching hermitcraft for a few months, and there's an awful lot of history i don't know about. so i focused on doing my best celebrating builds X has worked on here in season 10! i would have loved to include his base as well, but ultimately i ran out of room.

(there are still a few nods to other seasons based on knowledge i've acquired through osmosis. evil X is the most obvious, but i was also able to sneak in a couple small carvings next to the X in the title text!)

coming back around to xisuma's work on the technical side, that's why Evil X is backed by error windows. it's also why xisuma is holding a toolbox! it was the best visual metaphor i could come up with for the digital job of maintenance and repair.

(and of course he has a lovely cup of tea as well)

the allays (holding redstone) are partially in reference to farms X has been making, partially bringing back in that angelic/demonic vibe of Doom, and mostly because their intended role of supporters and helpers feels very thematically appropriate for X.

the lines in the sky are of course meant to evoke the shapes of mace race, and the black cube is a minecraft-ified version of the Soulside Eclipse logo.

(if you're not familiar, that's xisuma's music! it's good!! give it a listen sometime! it's on youtube!)

the silverfish at the very bottom are visual reference to the demon hordes of Doom - and of course they're also much more directly referencing X's very clever prank in impulse's city.

finally, on the walls of spawn we have the carved symbols - one for every other hermit. i remember X mentioning in a stream once something about fulfillment from supporting others. (i apologise if i'm remembering less than clearly.) it just felt like if i wanted to represent X, it felt important to include them as well.

and of course it made me happy to do something for Every hermit, since all of them

(smallishbeans/joel was actually the one i got most stuck on! there wasn't really a single item or symbol i could think of to narrow him down to. ultimately i decided on a torii gate and a little letter J, but i'm honestly still thinking about it)

ah right, and the Actual last thing: this turner out to be totally unnecessary, but i absolutely did draw this in the minecraft map hex code colours. it's a tricky palette to work with, and i learned a LOT about pixel art while trying to get the sky to look nice!

this piece took about 10 days to complete, maybe the longest i've ever spent on a single illustration like this - and honestly, i'm really happy and pretty proud of how it turned out!!

[phoenotopia]

Introducing Star Iliad!

We’re happy to announce our next game, “Star Iliad”! Now in development.

Star Iliad is a retro-futuristically themed Metroidvania that takes place inside a giant star whale.

See the teaser trailer!

In the game, you’ll play as Blythe Braves, a Star Ranger who patrols a remote region of the interstellar frontier. Heeding a distress signal, she investigates to find a curious large rock formation in the shape of a whale. Shortly after landing and locating a couple of castaways, her ship is destroyed by unknown alien creatures. Stranded and surrounded, but not outgunned, she joins forces with other castaways in a bid to escape. A big adventure ensues!

Where Phoenotopia had more Zelda-style leanings, Star Iliad dives deeper into Metroid territory with a larger, interconnected map and a stronger focus on gun combat. We’ve learned the correct lessons from Phoenotopia— which is… Guns are Good 👍 Bats are Bad 👎 (joking!)

The story won’t be taking a backseat. While Phoenotopia featured a large ensemble cast, Star Iliad narrows its focus to a smaller group of more thoroughly explored characters.

(Characters can leverage expressive portraits to drive emotionally charged scenes)

Some additional in-development pics. We have both very finished & very unfinished looking areas.

Legacy of Phoenotopia

Since Phoenotopia’s development concluded, we’ve received some really encouraging emails from fans expressing how much they enjoyed it and even sharing their concern about whether we were doing alright. This meant a lot, especially considering Phoenotopia was not a strong seller.

For a while now, I’ve felt the need to allay those fears and let everyone know that we’re alive and hard at work on something new. With Steam’s fourth anniversary for Phoenotopia approaching, it felt like the right moment to finally share an update.

True, Phoenotopia was not a strong seller, but it would not turn out to be as bleak as I previously believed. Long after sales should have dwindled to zero, the game found a small, but steady threshold—a lifeline that has kept us funded. We’ve also been able to rely on family (and the occasional side job or two) to stay afloat.

Lastly, I think the game got some organic word of mouth, so there would be random times here and there where a youtuber or renowned streamer covered Phoenotopia and we’d get an unusual sales spike out of nowhere.

So, to all the fans who supported us, whether by buying the game, spreading the word, or just sending us kind messages—thank you! You’ve sustained us in ways you may not even realize, and we’re incredibly grateful 🙇

Chronicling Star Iliad’s development with a new Dev Log! (on wordpress)

After Phoenotopia, there was a bit of wandering around and thinking about what was next.

I wanted to settle into a quieter pace of development for a while. With Phoenotopia, I had been doing long form dev log updates. I wanted to try something different – a smaller, but more frequent form of dev logging. And it appeared that the new dev blogging meta was social media like Twitter & Instagram.

But there was no point in starting right away. Because 4 years back, we didn’t know what we were working on. It would take about a year of exploring & feeling around before “Star Iliad” developed enough shape and form that it could be talked about. Then we started twitter (@StarIliad) and instagram (@StarIliad), and started posting. Not as regular as I thought I would it turns out – short form updates have their own unique challenges and dev logging is always easy to neglect.

Still, if you’re curious, you can look at the StarIliad twitter account and enjoy the past 3 years of short form dev log posts (it may keep you entertained for all of 10 minutes).

As for the instagram account, it never quite took off, basically dying right out the gate >_>

In any case, we’re in the midst of development. It’s difficult to see the finish line from here, so I can’t announce a release date. What I can announce is the return of the dev log, where like times of yore, I will be chronicling our thoughts and tribulations until we reach the finish line. I invite you to join us by subscribing to the new dev log on wordpress.

(Also, please wishlist on Steam! It helps with the algorithm)

[jiyeonnnn]

pawn, jsc

pairing | j. sc x m!r

synopsis | years after your debut, you've finally reconnected with someone you once adored. this is the night you re-tie the broken strings of your relationship.

cw | sub!top sungchan, dom!bottom reader, masturbation, dacryphilia, praises, implied fwb to lovers. 680 words (kinda short, but meh)

note: im back

"you're so tense, channie~ relax~" a cold gust of wind ran through sungchan's body pleasantly as you whispered to his ear, fans of your hot breaths hitting his face pulled him to his senses of how close you both are to each other.

he squirmed as he felt your thumb rake over his sensitive, leaking tip. you spat once again on his cock and started jerking his shaft at a seductive pace that left him fucking your fist in a matter of seconds.a chuckle escaped your mouth upon seeing his reaction. he's so goddamn needy.

"you're so fucking needy, y'know, puppy? do those pathetic members of nct not take care of you very well?" a whimper came out of his mouth as you had tightened your grip around the base of his length. your action immediately sent the younger jung into an overdrive of thoughts— failing to form coherent words that only a series of disordered nods were sent to you as a response, afraid that he'll get deprived of his most awaited orgasm since earlier. and it is damn well true, shotaro, ten— heck even the most precious taeyong— weren't enough to satisfy his needs for a warm sheath around his dick.

their moans, actions, and expressions were nothing to sungchan. to him, it all seemed like a disarray of greedy sluts that want nothing from him but his cum. the only thing that kept him going were the imaginations of your poetic, melodic and alluring voice filling up his ears every time he hears those "pathetic sluts", as he'd like to call them, moans every moment he thrusts into them. the curves of their bodies weren't quite well-fitted to his calloused hands that did nothing but hold you anytime back then. it drove him crazy that no one has ever leveled to your craziness of making him feel satisfied every night. you're all that he needs, and vice versa.

"i'm always right here, y'know~ always ready to take care of my precious lil mutt~" his skin crawled the moment your salacious lips went into contact with his jawline, trailing down a path of kisses down to his neck and shoulders, claiming and putting your marks to what belongs to you. jung sungchan is yours and no one else's.

your words have always worked on him, causing an unseemly amount of cum to spout from his tip and coat his belly as he leaned his head on your shoulder for support and murmured your name in a low voice.you chuckled at him. pumping him exquisitely through his high, as a poem of sweet nothings fell out of your mouth before leaving a little kiss on his forehead. "that was quick, my prince," you cooed as sungchan could not hold his embarrassment back; cheeks flushing with a very red tint, soft tears brimming his eyes as he looked at you ever-so-loving.

he, of course, did.

you shifted, and sungchan felt his heart drop to his stomach for a brief moment. his fears were allayed as you began to strip off each article of clothing from your skin, exacerbating his cock to clench erected as you straddled him bare.

"i'm not gonna leave you here like this, hyungie~ y'know i care about my puppy so much~" you cared for him, genuinely. you care about him enough to occupy his thoughts every moment he wakes up, leaving him boggled if he has captured your attention for the week or if you've moved on to another, stringing them along like you've done him.

however— every moment that you're with him, making him the center of the universe that you've both created together, even if it's just for a weekend, a day, hours or an inebriated night at a music platform— he swears it's love. sungchan is deeply in love with you. he doesn't care about his broken pride, his ruined reputation, or even his better judgment; he's happy to be a recurring pawn in your game.

"i love you, channie~ and we have all night for me to prove it to you."

[the-lonelybarricade]

A Blaze in the Dark - (5/10)

Chapter Title: Tell Me to Run

Summary: On the eve of her wedding, knowing nothing about her husband besides his apparent disinterest in his soon-to-be wife, Elain uses a spell to meet her true love in her dreams.

A contribution to @elucienweekofficial Day 5: Nature

Read on AO3 ・Series Masterlist・Previous Chapter

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Lucien Vanserra was going mad.

When he was a child, his mother once told him a tale of a boy who went out into the forest intending to bring back food for his family. As he went, the boy happened across a blackberry bush, filled with berries that were oddly ripe for the season. He picked enough to fill his shirt and when he was prepared to take them home, he caught sight of another bush further down the path. Then another, then another. In the end, the boy picked far more than he could carry, and they spilled from his shirt throughout his journey home. Later that night, a pack of wolves followed the sweet scent of berries to his front door.

It was an unhappy story. Lucien had never much enjoyed it, though he couldn’t help feeling he was the boy, tangling his fingers through the bramble of thick hair that smelled of jasmine and honey.

Time passed differently in sleep. He could not tell if it had been hours or mere minutes that he’d spent holding his true love, savoring the silence that was disturbed only by her steady breathing.

A moment like this, so tender and quiet, should have been peace-giving.

Instead, he was holding his true love in his arms, and he felt nothing short of agony. It was so wrong—so wrong that she was married to another man, who had treated her so poorly on their wedding night that she’d come to him in tears. And equally it was wrong that he was with her at all, when his own wife was in the waking world, eating dinner on her own, sleeping in an empty bed.

He hadn’t expected to like Elain. That was the worst thing of all—that his wife was lovely. Beautiful and kind and disarmingly clever.

Lucien had meant to suggest to her that they take on lovers outside of their marriage. For weeks, he had planned what he would say to her, rehearsing it in the quiet so that when he finally came face to face with his wife, he would be prepared. Never, in his imagining, had she had such rich brown eyes that could cut through him to the very core. With one look he was no longer a prince, nor a scholar, nor a gentleman capable of articulating himself, all because she had pink, bow-shaped lips that curved into the sweetest smile he’d ever seen.

Not that it mattered, that she was beautiful. What mattered was that each time she spoke, he found himself hanging on to her every word, eager to know what she might say next, what insight she gleaned from the world when she thought no one was watching. Suddenly, it was excruciating to suggest she find fulfillment with another man, when he doubted that any living mortal could match her for wit.

He hadn’t said what he was planning to say—what he ought to say. She deserved honesty, and equity, especially given that she was a woman of grace and honor. And yet, here he was. Holding another woman on his wedding night.

And that muddied his feelings all the more. Because he knew this woman was his true love, his perfect match in every way, and he felt equally beguiled by her wicked temper and sweet soul. It was not that he wanted his wife more, it was that he wanted her equally. Greedily seeking a second berry bush when his shirt was already full.

The problem with the boy from the story, the problem with Lucien, was that he wanted too much. He wanted to allay his true love’s grief. He wanted to protect her from her husband. He wanted Elain to smile at him. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted his true love and he wanted his wife and he wanted so many things that he thought he might simply be torn apart by the number of contradictions he chased.

Lucien knew he could not have them both. Elain was not his true love and his true love was not his wife and he was going to die trying to decide which should matter more. True love seemed obvious, but there would be no escaping his marriage to Elain. It would follow him as long as they both lived. They could stay on separate sides of the palace, but she would be an ever-present fixture in his life and he thought, if they were both willing to give it a chance, they could be happy together.

His true love was… a dream. One he could chase, but never hold, not past daybreak.

She belonged to another man.

She was in so much pain.

She smelled like jasmine and honey.

Letting her go sounded as inviting as peeling off his own skin. She felt just as much a part of him. No. No. He had to be honest with Elain and tell her that he intended for them to take on lovers. And then he needed to get his true love away from her husband.

“Are you still awake?” his true love asked, voice soft and berry-sweet.

“No,” he said lightly. “You and I are both asleep.”

She laughed. It was the most wonderful sound he’d ever heard.

“Where are you from?” He couldn’t resist. Now that he’d made up his mind, he needed to move quickly. “What kingdom?”

From the fragments of information she’d shared with him, he had his suspicions, but he needed to know. If she was close enough, he could ride out to her as soon as he escorted Elain the rest of the way to his estate. In his head, he saw it playing out perfectly. He would pay off his true love’s husband and her back to the Eastern Kingdom, where she could live in a cottage nearby. He could visit her regularly without needing to offend Elain by putting them in company of each other.

His true love did not answer him. Lucien understood why she was scared to tell him. He had the capacity to ruin her by going to her husband and telling him what they’d done together. Even with good intentions, if he handled things inelegantly it would result in scandal. She didn’t know that he was a Prince, and he hesitated to tell her lest that terrify her, too.

“It can’t be the North,” he said. “There’s not much to farm up there this time of year, and certainly the conditions are too severe for a poor farmer’s daughter to get her hands on a butterfly. To me, that narrows it down to the West or the South. But I have a suspicion, from the way that you speak, that you must be from Carterhaugh.”

Carterhaugh, the land of eternal spring. He was just there, which was utterly predictable. Of course the Cauldron would put his mate and his true love in the same duchy. It felt like the Mother was mocking him.

When his true love tensed in his arms, that told him everything he needed to know.

“I’ve been to Carterhaugh several times,” he told her, pointedly excluding his most recent visit. “Did you know that there is a garden there open to the public that boasts every plant grown naturally in the Southern Kingdom? There’s a hedge maze in its center. Meet me there in two days time.”

“I can’t.”

“Name any sum of money.” He knew he was beginning to sound desperate. “However much you think you’ll need to make the journey, I will send it.”

“I can’t,” she sounded desperate now, too. He braced himself for the return of her tears.

“I understand.” And he did. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her distress. Seeing her in person was a selfish desire, and it would no longer be worth it if it would pain her in the process. “It will be difficult to escape from your husband so soon after marriage.”

“It will be impossible,” she corrected. “We’re on our honeymoon. Not to be disturbed for the next 30 days, at a minimum. What excuse could I possibly have to leave the house without my husband?”

Lucien was painfully aware. She would have as little excuse to the leave the house as he would. What would Elain think if he left for Carterhaugh only three days into their honeymoon? From the way that she’d looked at him just before she’d shut the door in his face, he wondered if she would even care.

“If I can ensure that your husband will be out of the house that day, and if I could send you the means to attend, would you consider it?”

“I don’t know how you would possibly—”

“Would you consider it?”

He could feel her silence like a chasm yawning open in his chest, some ever growing wound of rejection that flared at her uncertainty. He was teetering on a sharp edge, suddenly terrified that she would say no and he would be left to face the painful reality that even his true love had decided that she did not want Little Lucien Vasnerra.

Damaged, scarred, impure.

To think he could come to her stripped of labels, with no name or title to live up to, bearing only the truth of who he was at his core, and she would still find him insufficient. Well, he supposed that was to be expected.

“I’ll consider it,” she said finally, allowing him to breathe once more.

“Good,” he murmured, wishing he’d managed to sound composed, but his short breath gave him away. It hardly mattered. She would consider it, and for that he gently turned her chin so he could kiss her cheek. “Then tell me what you might say to me, so that I can know it’s you.”

“It has to be something so unusual that it couldn’t possibly be mistaken,” she said, sounding lost in thought. He allowed her a moment to consider it, patiently stroking his hand through her hair where she laid against hist chest.

“I know,” she said finally. “I will come up to you and I will say, ‘I can hear your heart beating through the stone. Can you hear mine?’”

Lucien smiled. Had she come up with that because she was, at present, listening to his heart beat? Did she hear it stutter with his affection for her?

“And how will you know it’s me?” He asked.

“Call me your sweet soul,” she hummed. “And perhaps I will bring some sweet alyssum with me, so that I may cure you of your wickedness.”

Lucien liked the way her voice warmed when she teased him. She could get him to do anything, so long as she spoke to him in that voice.

He lowered his mouth to her neck, crooning, “I fear it is too late to save me from my wickedness.”

“Then perhaps I can save myself,” she said. Now she sounded breathless, and he liked that, too.

“Hmm.” It was an effort to keep his hands off her. He knew he ought to, after what she had endured tonight, and yet she was so soft, so pliant beneath his touch. And when he kissed her neck, he could feel her arch further into his touch. “I have the sense you don’t want to be saved.”

Just as she was turning into him, finally beginning to take charge in the form of throwing her leg across his hip, the darkness around them began rippling. He groaned, sliding his palm to her cheek so he could steal one final kiss from her lips.

“Think on it,” he said against her mouth.

Then he was torn from her, startling awake atop the covers of a foreign bed, the oak door rattling beneath a pair of fists. He was still in his damn wedding clothes.

“What?” He called, too irritated to summon any eloquence. If he didn’t need to be awake, he would have appreciated a few moments longer with his true love.

“We need to leave at daybreak to make it to the manor before nightfall, your highness.”

Lucien cast his eyes to the window in the corner. It was tedious to travel in winter, when the length of daylight was so greatly reduced.

“It is not yet dawn,” he said in complaint.

“No, your highness. But neither you or the princess had any supper—”

“Elain didn’t eat?”

“No, sir. She has not left her room, nor responded to any knocking. We’ve left her trunk in the hall, but we thought perhaps the two of you would prefer to have breakfast before we depart.”

Lucien had known she was upset—though, truly, it perplexed him given that she had agreed to the arrangement. He hadn’t realized that would mean she would deny herself dinner, or even a fresh pair of clothes. He swore, thinking of the state of her dress when he’d last seen it. She hadn’t slept in the wet clothes, had she? Was she so stubborn that she would deny looking after her health as a means of spite?

Quickly, Lucien changed into a pair of fresh trousers and a white linen shirt. While he and Elain weren’t married in the traditional sense, he felt no compulsion to dress himself up as though they were strangers. She was his wife, and he could knock on her door in a loosely buttoned shirt without being improper. Or so he hoped.

She didn’t answer after one polite round of knocking, so he tried a second, then a third.

Losing patience, he called through the door, “Elain, I hope you haven’t attempted to escape out the window. I’d feel wounded to discover you’d sooner brave the winter than be my wife.”

“I am here,” she called, feintly.

“Can you come to the door, then?”

“I am indisposed.”

Her voice was small—embarrassed. Ah. Lucien turned his eyes downward, spying the trunk that rested just beside the door.

“I have a change of clothes out here,” he said. “Will you let me in?”

“Absolutely not!”

“I am your husband. It won’t be improper to assist you.”

When Elain said nothing, he sighed. “I promise to close my eyes?”

It was an absurd solution, and while he waited for Elain to snap at him for it, he pondered if there was a maid in the inn who might be able to assist.

“…okay.” It was a meek, defeated concession.

Lucien blinked. “Okay?”

He hadn't expected her to agree, and for all his assurances that it hardly mattered between a husband and wife, he felt his pulse jump the slightest bit.

“You’re going to need to unlock the door for me, then.”

Lucien leaned down to lift the trunk into his arms. As he straightened, the locking mechanism clicked, and the door handle angled downwards as though Elain were pulling it on the other side. But the door stayed shut.

“Close your eyes,” she said.

“As my wife commands.”

“Are they shut?”

“Yes,” he said, with a laugh.

The door creaked open. Lucien stepped through carefully. He was heaving the trunk with exaggerated ease, catering to some juvenile idea that Elain might be impressed at his strength. Though from the sound of it, she was scrambling to shut the door in such a hurry she wasn’t at all paying any attention to what he was carrying.

“Where should I set this down?”

“Just on the floor,” she said. “At your feet.”

He complied, trying not to entertain the thought that Elain was standing just before him in some state of undress—completely naked, if he had the liberty to imagine, but perhaps that was a step too far for the prudent Elain Archeron.

“Would you like me to go?”

When Elain didn’t immediately say yes, he straightened, surprised.

After what seemed like a great deal of consideration, she asked him, “Do you have experience lacing a corset?”

“I fear answering that question,” he said, but his sly smile would give an answer all the same. “Though I feel I could manage it competently.”

“Competent enough to do it with your eyes closed?” She challenged.

“I don’t like to boast,” he said.

Elain padded across the room to him. He could have been imagining it, but even her steps sounded haughty. A little vixen, set on proving him wrong. He liked that she was competitive. He hadn’t expected that from her.

“Go on then,” she said. Now, he could tell she was just in front of him. He could smell lavender, and also a hint of firesmoke, like she’d fallen asleep in front of the hearth.

Cautiously, Lucien extended his hand forward. He’d underestimated how tall she was. His fingers grazed the bare skin of her shoulder blade, and she gasped.

“I…” It was unreasonable to feel nervous. But her skin was so soft. He cleared his throat. “This may require a fair bit of touching. Is that okay with you?”

Elain’s voice was stern. “You may touch my waist and my back. Nothing more.”

Gods. Lucien reminded himself that he was a gentleman, though his thoughts were far from that variety. He’d just woken from a night of holding his true love, and one would think he’d be satiated, but all he could think as he gathered up her hair was how desperately he wished to pull, just to see what noise she would make. No wonder the Mother had punished him by marrying his true love to another man. He was not deserving of either woman.

Lucine shook his roguish thoughts long enough to follow the path of her spine down to the unlaced corset at her waist. After finding that Elain was securing both stays in place, he felt blindly along the edges for the first eyelet, before he began threading the lace through. It was clumsy at first. He needed to prod often with his fingers to verify he was looping through the correct hole, but as the stay tightened around her body it became easier. A shame, because he had less of an excuse to trail his fingers over the curve of her hip.

“Not bad,” she hummed, once he’d finished tying the knot at the top.

Lucien smirked. “I think I’d do a better job unlacing it, if you’d like to compare.”

“Rake. I thought you said you weren’t boastful.”

How could he not be boastful, when his hand was still on her hip and she was not stepping away from him? The recollection of what she tasted like flaunted through his mind. She’d kissed him back standing on that altar, lips honey sweet and petal soft. He felt dizzy at just the memory of it.

“What’s there to boast about in untying a corset? The compliment is the company of the woman wearing it.”

Elain snorted. “Do all princes have such smooth tongues?”

He needed to bite back a crude remark about how smooth his tongue could be. He had been honest when he’d said he wanted them to be friends, and the snide comments certainly weren’t helping.

“I could answer honestly, Elain, but I’ve already told you that I am not boastful.”

“How fortunate that my husband is so humble,” she said dryly.

“Can I open my eyes?”

“Not yet.”

Lucien couldn’t resist smiling, albeit ruefully. It would be a long journey to the Eastern Kingdom.

[amethystfairy1]

Sorry, Allay anon here to apologize.

I think the whole thinking about the Allay mutant kind of goes against the going past your whole timeline thing? In case you were planning any Allay mutants or anything.

Also, I didn't realize there was a whole index about the different hybrids and mutants, and didn't realize that the correct term would be mutants, so apologies again.

Also, thinking back on it, the whole rant felt sort of diminishing of intelligence with how much I explained stuff, and also it may feel like I was taking your au out of your hands. That truly wasn't my intent, and I realize that my over excitedness of it may not parse well through text?

Just a whole lot of apologies for that, I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries or anything, and I just wanted to apologize for that.

I hope you have a good day, stay hydrated and eat and sleep well and take some breaks.

You don't need to apologize at all! I loved your ask about the Allay mutants you came up with and I 100% encourage folks to come up with that sort of thing and PLEASE send it to me, I don't want you to feel bad about that at all! I promise I loved it and you didn't overstep at all, the fact that my AU made you feel creative and inspired and you came up with so many ideas made me so so so happy!

Let me clarify something about that little timeline rule that I'm sure you must've seen in @silver-sunray's TTSBC: Beyond post! What I mean by that is specific events that haven't happened yet. That's why the given examples are a Flower Husbands wedding and Cub's hybrid reveal. Both of these events are things that might happen in TTSBC's future, so I would rather not have folks writing fic or things along those lines that portray those events because they haven't actually happened, and I want to have a chance to write them first 😅

This rule does not apply to hybrids/mutants that have not yet appeared in TTSBC. If you wanna write about an Allay mutant OC, go for it! Please, by all means, I would love to see what you come up with for them! If you want to participate in TTSBC: Beyond with them, all you gotta do is make sure they fit into the TTSBC universe, which I will say they totally do because I did read your ask and I loved it!

It's just that I got back in town from a long, very fun, but also very exhausting con weekend this week, and your ask was so lovely, detailed, and interesting that I didn't want to half-ass a response, so I wanted to give myself a few days to try and restart my brain cells before I typed up a reply to you! I'm so sorry if my taking so long to answer made you think I didn't like it, because that is not at all the case!

Imma go type up my reply to it right now as a matter of fact 🏃‍♀️💨

But yeah, do not apologize because there is nothing to apologize for, I promise! And Thank you for the well wishes, hope you are having a lovely day as well! 💖

[kozykricket]

minecraft allay: -will forget its designated noteblock easily, if it doesnt hear it every 30 seconds at least -completely focus on the one item that you give them, and are very happy about finding it and giving it to you. they love it conclusion? minecraft allays are neurodivergent af. they get fixated joyously on the item you give them, and have a hard time paying attention. worlds most relatable mob confirmed ??

[altocat]

Here’s a (hopefully) fun scenario for you to think about: Sephiroth runs into a class of young kids on a school trip to the Shinra building. The second they see him, they get very excited and start asking him questions. What kinds of questions do they ask him, and how does he respond?

Sephiroth's first thought: OH NO.

And now he's being swarmed like a Disney mascot. But thankfully, his fears of being tackled and climbed on are very swiftly allayed. They're a polite lot, more interested in asking him questions about his time on the battlefield, as well as what his favorite battle moves are. Very basic, easy to explain.

Despite being initially rather frazzled, he's very courteous to them and even demonstrates a few moves for their personal enjoyment. He actually seems pretty relaxed after a long period, and probably would have even followed them around to personally help them tour the building had Genesis not immediately jumped in to show off. Our happy circle of enthusiastic kiddos gets to watch a verbal slap fight between two legendary warriors in real time. Sephiroth waves them goodbye while simultaneously wrangling Genesis into a headlock.

[bluiex]

God I love the ideas coming from my au please share your thoughts with me But Cub finally tracks down where Scar went. After learning, it was an inside job, Cub is Livid and well if something bad happened to those elves, he wouldn't be to upset He is confronted by Grian and Mumbo when he enters their territory. He's heard about how avians can get very territorial over what they see is theirs. So he starts asking about Scar which surprises both Mumbo and Grian, but they share a look between each other Before Mumbo ask if his name is Cub. Which Cub is surprised but says yes it is, after a few beats. The truth comes out that Scar has been talking about him and how he misses him. So they offer to take Cub to Scar Though its obvious Grian isn't to keen on this. While Mumbo is a bit better at sharing, Grian is in fact not. Its fine when it comes to Mumbo, their mate is the same. But now Cub is about Grian already feels a little threatened by it The two offer to fly Cub there but he lets them know that its okay he can fly being a hybrid himself (love the vex/allay idea its so good) Once at Mumbo and Grian's shared place, Scar comes to greet them having gotten over most of his injuries by now. And is stunned to see Cub, who he rushes to embrace. Scar is teary and so happy just rambling on as he holds onto Cub for them its a happy reunion For Grian he can feel the jealousy bubbling within. And the fear that Cub might take Scar back with him, he did have a home after all before Grian found him. But it makes him feel weird, he loves Scar. Scar belongs with him and Mumbo, not where he came from and not with this Cub fellow Though Gri is really trying to not notice how cute Cub is. How his traits are something he likes in another and so on. He wants to hate Cub, but why does he have to be pretty too its not fair. Even with his wings puffed up and a sour look on his face, Mumbo just chuckles next to him. Cause he knows exactly what Grian is thinking and its not what Grian wants to be thinking -@spacecatdet I'm weak for polyships and it shows

YEEEES Love this sm

Grian wanting to hate Cub but just can't <333

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

This is just a little piece written as a sort of follow up to The Light of Hidden Flowers by @darsynia ~ a oneshot she wrote as a gift to cheer me up during a recent, very rough spell. It features Darsy's non-magical Stephen Strange Variant and a Variant of my OFC, Hope Collins (from my 'Friday in the Park with Stephen' & 14,000,604), who is very down on her luck.

Mayhap no one will read this except Darsy and me, but I'm happy to be able to post anything at all, caught in the grip as I am, of a nearly year long writer's block. But if you do, I hope you'll enjoy it dear Reader...and perhaps check out Darcy's one shot (as well as he other amazing works!)...and maybe even give me some much needed encouragement by reblogging this.

genre: Soulmate AU, Stephen Strange AU (where he's still a surgeon), Stephen Strange x OFC

general audience

angst, tw: homelessness

word count: 1.6k

Hope sleeps.

Hours upon hours of untroubled, restorative sleep. Such a pale waif, she was--but for the dark circles rimming her eyes--looking so small beneath the downy counterpane, with her head sunk snuggly into a pillow so long out of use that Stephen can’t recall the last time someone slept there. She barely moves throughout her slumber; he sneaks a cautious peek on her several times as night transitions to dawn, transitions to day, surprised that in between, his own sleep is the most restful he’s had in months. Perhaps that’s his mind’s way of compartmentalizing the surreal experience of being confronted by an impossible other self. He hears the toilet flush twice during that span, but she moves on silent, stockinged feet right back to the cozy coccoon of his guestroom bed. Besides which, he wouldn’t dream of disturbing his guest--the doctor in him knowing this was the first, best medicine he could offer her. And the man he was feeling that the other Doctor Strange had charged him with a sacred duty, no matter how improbable that had to be.

“I’m, uh...Stephen, by the way,” he had offered quietly, once the golden ring behind them had fizzled closed.

She nodded, already half-asleep still on her feet, blinking her woebegone eyes. It had been too dark to tell their color, but he guessed that with her pale skin and the thick, light auburn, braid hanging down from her knit cap, that they were some shade of blue. “Hope,” she replied in a voice husked with exhaustion, “Thank you for your...” Her brow had furrowed a moment as she searched for the right word, and in a single heartbeat, Stephen felt a sudden fondness take root in his chest at the quietly endearing picture she made. “...hospitality.”

He had opened his mouth, meaning to speak the proper platitude for the moment--my pleasure--but realized there should be more than just a polite nicety to this first interaction between them. “I’m happy to help.” And he found that he truly was, broken sleep and brief adventure in freezing temperatures notwithstanding. “Please, make yourself as comfortable as you can,” he urged her gently. Hope had bit her lip and bowed her head as aknowledgement, and it had felt to Stephen as though she only refrained from answering so to keep herself from breaking into tears. That silent nobility summoned a sympathetic ache on her behalf, to join the sudden fondness in his chest.

“Here, let me take this,” he had told her, prompting her to surrender the blanket wrapped about her.  When she unbuttoned her hooded, wool coat (she would tell him later it was secondhand, from a local church’s St.Vincent DePaul Society), he was quick to circle behind her to help her shrug it off. This close, he could feel her shiver, and he had to fight the impulse to wrap her up in a comforting embrace. It would do nothing to allay her skittishness and would probably send her bolting away from him instead, as quickly as she was able. Stephen backed away and laid her things on the bottom of the bed.

Hope turned to him and he was swift to fill in the gap. “I can fix you something to eat if you're hungry, or at least something hot to drink to help you warm up...”

She braved meeting his eyes, clearing her throat before she spoke. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d love some orange juice. I, um...I can’t remember the last time I had some.”

“Sure,” he nodded, “Right away. And how about a little snack or something?”

She gave him a brave little smile, “Nah. The juice will be enough for now. If you have some.”

“Alright,” Stephen answered with his own small smile, then moved past her to open the bathroom door to flick on the light, leaving the door ajar enough to spill a wedge of warm light across the floor. “You can wash up, if you wish. There’s plenty of towels, and a whirlpool tub. Bathroom connects on the other side with the master bedroom.”

“Thanks. Um...if it’s alright, I’d like to lay down right now. You can’t imagine how the body craves laying down when you haven’t had the chance in...well, in days and days...” Though her voice cracked on the last few words, Hope held his gaze without flinching. "I'm just so incredibly...weary. And that bed looks really inviting..."

“I’m sure it does,” he replied softly. “Please...make yourself at home, Hope. And I’ll go grab that juice for you.” Stephen paused a moment, until she acknowledged him with a bob of her head, before he departed on his errand.

Before the juice, though, he had stopped to get something comfortable for her to change into, from his dresser. Neither he nor his other self, had even thought to grab some of Hope’s personal belongings before ending up in his apartment. Stephen supposed they’d need to retrieve some items at some point the next day. That other him had advised a week’s stay--not only for Hope’s sake, but for his own. Plus, they’d eventually need to move her car to his second space in the building’s parking garage.

He returned to find Hope had propped a couple of pillows against the headboard, having slipped beneath the covers. She had taken the care of folding what looked to be a couple layers of clothing, and left them (along with her coat, blanket, and knit cap) in a neat pile on the chaise at the foot of the bed. She wore a simple, white camisole, trimmed in a thin band of lace across the swell of her breasts. It would have been rude to let his eyes linger, but by the light from the bathroom, Stephen had enough time to notice the light freckling along and beneath her collarbone echoed the pretty spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. How...fetching, he had thought, wondering that such a rarely used word had popped into his mind.

Setting the orange juice on the bedside table, Stephen added a chocolate chip muffin that he’d hastily swathed in plastic wrap, a fresh washed apple, and a banana. “Just in case you wake up feeling peckish,” he told her, then placed the small bundle of clothes he’d grabbed from his room, next to her own on the chaise. “It’s just a tee shirt and some flannel pajama bottoms--they cinch at the waist, so they shouldn’t fall off--but they’ll be a little long for you. Oh, and an old hoodie of mine.” It was, in fact, his well worn, favorite Columbia hoodie; he hadn’t hesitated in including it, for it somehow made his proffer of help more personal. More sincere.

Hope’s tired eyes were warm with gratitude while she did her best to stifle a yawn. “If there’s anything more you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m a pretty light sleeper," he told her, "and I’ll just be on the other side of the bathroom door...” Stephen shrugged as he trailed off, hoping he had done enough to put the woman at ease.  

“Thank you for your kindness, Stephen. You’ve already done far more than most people might’ve. Easpecially given the...extraordinary...circumstances...”

He chuckled, despite the gravity of the moment. “Extraordinary beyond belief...”

“I know, right,” she almost giggled, so that he wondered how long it had been since Hope had enjoyed the opportunity to laugh. “I keep pinching myself to test if this is all real.”

“Yeah, me too,” he admitted, “And if not, it’s the trippiest dream I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, me too,” she repeated, then gave a little shiver.

“Hey, you okay?” Concerned, Stephen dared to perch on the edge of the bed beside her, slipping back into physician mode, but stopping short of the urge to lay his hand against her forehead, as she might find that act as being too familiar. “Are you having chills? Do you feel feverish?”

Shaking her head, Hope tugged the blanket a bit higher, “No...no, I’m fine. Just really tired and...and truthfully?” The corners of her mouth framed a wee smile, “Most of me still thinks I’m dreaming...or hallucinating...” Her eyes seemed to plead with Stephen to give her some assurance she was wrong. “But right now, I have no will except to let whatever this is, just sweep me along.” 

And that was enough for him. Stephen did touch her, as much for himself as to answer her concern. Just his hand against her cheek, his voice gone low, and as soft as her flesh. “Hope...do you remember a dream, ever in your life, with warmth this real?” 

"Never. Not ever." Hope closed her eyes, exhaling the quietest little sigh of relief as she parted her lips and nestled her cheek against his palm. They seemed to freeze in place that way, while a thousand thoughts swirled through Stephen’s mind, not the least of which was wondering how such a sweet soul--for already, she felt as such to him--could have come to such desperate straits.

By the time he lowered his hand, Hope’s breathing had slowed to that of a sleeper’s, but he waited a minute more before rising from the bed, so as not to jostle her awake. Tomorrow would do for pondering the slew of questions they must have in common regarding the unbelievable visitation from a stranger-not-stranger, whose force of will had somehow bound their fates together, for at least a little while.

If you read the whole piece through, thank you most kindly!💙 If you reblog, you'll truly make my day!!🥰

Hope is homeless in this fiction, as I have been since July 2022--a condition I had never imagined for her or for myself. I've been blessed to get through this long, difficult, and very enlightening journey with much help from friends here on tumblr. And I am ever hopeful to finally find a permanent home, especially lately, as I've been having to sleep in my car more and more often--which has been detrimental to my health. Perhaps by the time I can write a happy ending for this version of Hope & Stephen, I may find a better ending of my own!

my ko-fi

[slaaverin]

Thank you for explaining. I think I got the gist reading it the second time but it’s the terminology I’m not used to, my sister dabbles in tarot but I’m hesitant because of how much it reveals, especially since one time someone who spoke to their guides predicted my miscarriage and never told me before hand, it freaked me out, so reading about Jimin upset me as it seems he is in a bad place bless him. I mean I know logically they are, but the other reading of the whole band said they are also protected when I read that, so that’s something.

I think it makes it all the more important they went in together and somehow fate aligned in the application process to make that happen. They are trapped in there though, both doing crazy things in their careers right now, with Muse and the travel show and now Jungkooks documentary. It’s wild! Do you think maybe Jimin is worried about how vulnerable he’s making himself in this album? He keeps talking about a truth and we are yet to see/hear what he means by that. Maybe he’s second guessing himself in the run up to release. I hope whatever fears and anxiety he does have are allayed eventually because I truly think people do love and support him in the fandom, sometimes the echo chamber doesn’t feel like it but i think people love him fiercely. Glad he has Kook though to lean on when he needs it.

I just wish them the best and all the happiness in the world. And that time flies so they can get out of there fast!

I understand. It's true that tarot is a great tool to learn about energy and psychology but depending on the reader's ethics it can be used badly. To me bluemoonpunch has always been "professional", never reveals too many personal details, never talked about the status of their relationship, it's more on an energetical standpoint which I find educational and interesting to analyze.

I can only speculate about Jimin's fear and give my biased opinion. I feel Muse is a continuation of Face, the natural next step. He wants to reveal himself to us more, tell us something he didn't dare say before. I think he is nervous about this. There is also the travel show to consider, with many eyes on them, more than before. In the past people could dismiss jikook's bond by ignoring their moments or belittle them, but this time the whole fandom will have to sit and watch jikook's dynamic for hours and I am sorry but I think, even without them saying it cleary, it will be blatantly obvious for everyone they are in a relationship. Editors will play the bro card but I don't think this will be sufficient.

Everything will be out on the open, way more than before, and I feel Jimin is aware of this, and dreads the reaction of people because it makes him worried for Jungkook and his own safety.

Muse + the travel show is a lot to think about at once, plus we don't know how exactly is the situation inside. I think he made friends but with everyone? I am not sure. Maybe he worries about things from the inside too, we don't know.

Overall I think this would be a lot for anyone, and I am glad Jungkook helps him in this situation.

I'm trying to tell myself that before making the decision to make Muse and the travel show, he thought about it, he pondered it. So he knew what kind of consequences there could be. Yet he decided to go through with it anyway. He might have had his reasons. I trust his judgement on that.

I feel like he knows why he did it, I don't think he regrets his choices, yet I can imagine him going into the worst case scenario in his head, what if it goes wrong? What if it hurts me, us? I think it's a very human thing to think about. Because he can try to predict the outcome but in truth he cannot control it, so he has fear.

I think he cares what people think because he doesn't want Jungkook to get hurt. Depending on what truth he reveals in Muse he could be afraid of consequences.

I am curious to see what this untold truth will be, and if somehow things are connecting together or not, how everything fits.

I hope Jimin and Jungkook can rely on each other during this time, and maybe it's best they are busy with military life not to think too much about it.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts 💜

[celestekrp]

` happy weekend, CSG students !

we're sure you've all heard the rumours by now. . .

. . . and this time, they happen to be true! unusual sightings of a few mythical creatures have been spotted all throughout the country within the past few months, however, it seems that they all finally decided to settle in one unusual place: naejangsan national park !the field trip will be held from FEBRUARY 26TH until MARCH 31ST !

while the university is partnering with conservationists to ensure that they are safe and to investigate this strange change of environment, we have decided to allow our students to take a field trip in order to study the animals! both professors and researchers involved estimate that this investigation will take about a month. during this month, students will be able to come in and out of the park to visit. staying overnight will be possible too, and all professors are aware to grant extensions as necessary considering how rare of a situation this is! housing will be offered and covered by the university: a cozy inn near the park will be open to welcome our students as needed during the field trip. don't forget to pick a partner ! you will be able to room with someone of your choosing. now, onto the mythical creatures that our students will encounter. so far, the staff from the park were only able to confirm the presence of a few new creatures:

a herd of pegasus and unicorns that have mostly been spotted deeper in the woods of the park by the mountain. this species is extremely unusual to find, and it is out of the utmost importance that we ensure their safety, as they are protected by the WPSPA (world protection society of peculiar animals). while our students will be able to approach them and study them, they be supervised by a complete team of peculiar zoologists, csg professors and conservationists. furthermore, please remember that this operation is entirely confidential ! no one outside of the school should be aware of the details of it.

little fairy sprites that usually manifest themselves in the woods at night. while they are rather small (the size of a hand) and very cute looking, they are also known to be extremely mischievous. they are typically attracted to shiny things and nice scents (perfume, food, etc.) and will go out of their way to steal things. they can sometimes be spotted during the day where their behaviour is much tamer. while they aren't deadly, they can still prove themselves to be annoying and rather dangerous when in a group. ( * note: they look like allays from minecraft )

gumiho, or nine-tailed foxes, have also been spotted within the woods. our latest update from the team at the park confirmed that they have found two at both total ends of the national park, and are actively attempting to find more. after a few weeks of observation, the staff has concluded that they have not yet obtained their shape shifting abilities. still, we urge our students to be extremely careful while navigating the park. naturally, please do not follow anyone you are unfamiliar with, as it could put your life in danger! all staff will be wearing a badge and will know a secret word that will be provided to you upon getting to the park. if you are ever unsure of the identity of someone, please ask them for the secret word! if they cannot say it. . . take your leave as quickly as possible!

that is all for now! please expect further communication on monday morning once the field trip begins! as always, our administration office is always open for your questions !

[variousqueerthings]

Hi!

I’m currently watching Doctor Who (2005) for the first time. Just finished season 4.

And I just read your post from last October (?), where you state that you dislike the character River Song. And even though this might sound a bit mean, I was so happy to read that I’m not alone in my strange aversion against this character from the very moment she appeared in the Library episode. Similar to you I just don’t like the fact, that one of the companions is getting this kind of super special treatment, especially when it is interwoven with a romance and even marriage.

Now I’m a bit apprehensive to start with season 5, because I know River Song will be a huge part of the plot... Is it possible to skip her episodes or would I get problems to follow the overarching story line, when doing so?

Something else I noticed and wanted to ask about is the fact that River Song only appeared in the TV series up to and including season 9 (according to the tardis wiki). I know there are many other kinds of media she appears in after 2015. But I’m curious if they indeed dropped the character in the TV show in some way after a couple of seasons?

So far I enjoyed Doctor Who immensely. It is a fun watch, a great opportunity to get lost in strange worlds and, on a more personal level, a nice way to relax after a busy workday. So I just don’t want to ruin this experience for myself, because I have to follow a character/ or a character construct I really don’t like.

And please don’t worry about giving away future plot points. At this point it is better for my enjoyment of the story to know what will happen, at least in regards to River Song.

SoooOOOoooooeeew hello first of all hello hi! welcome to Doctor Who! (I say, if you've seen s1-4/specials you're firmly In It!)

I want to disclaim to begin with, I know a lot of people do like River Song, and would rec seeing her narrative to understand her whole... Deal. I'm personally not a fan of that narrative, but I'll give you a rundown of it below and if you decide you wanna give it a looksee, or a partial watch, there are suggestions for some episodes including her below as well

to allay your fears that she's overpowering/unavoidable, she's kind of shockingly not, considering what M*ffat seemed to want from her. you can pretty much excise her episodes from the plot and miss almost nothing (and I let you know what you do miss below)

the seasons she's in the most are s5+6. she's only in two episodes in s7 and one more in s9 (with none in s8), which ironically does make it feel even odder to me that she's presented the way she is in s4. I know in the audio dramas she does meet other Doctors but in main canon on the show she meets 10 once, 11 a few times, and 12 once. compared to characters like the Master, Jack, even Rose and Clara according to M*ffat's own canon (these are episodes you will see, so you'll know what I mean at that point) she just doesn't compute for me as this "Most Important" thing that M*ffat tries to pull, in which her "specialness" feels incredibly linked to amatornormative monogamy (and generally M*ffat's penchant for introducing women as mysteries first, and characters second). Also in s5+6 especially she's presented as this uncomfortably "femme fatale" type character with dialogue that makes me want to claw my face off

I do have a watchlist that's for when I next go into this era that does skip the River Song episodes (that being said, I actually quite like her last episode. I have a theory that Peter Capaldi is such a grounding presence that over-the-top narrative and terrible dialogue is made emotionally resonant to me)

SO, first things first, I'll give you a rundown of her arc, and then a watchlist of how I intend to enjoy s5-7 moving forwards that you can totally follow

River Song canon (in brief): River Song is the child of Amy Pond (fifth/sixth season companion) and her husband Rory (also companion in those two seasons). Because she is conceived in the Tardis, she has some regeneration energy innate to her (I wasn't a fan of that personally). Before she is born a space cult that's obsessed with the Doctor for truly overblown reasons that are never fully delved into, but can be summed up as "Gallifrey is un-destroyed and the Doctor has the ability to bring it back into the Universe by using a passcode that's his name, and so this cult has formed in order to stop the Doctor discovering this fact and uttering his name," kidnaps Amy, replaces her with a flesh double who has Amy's memories, erases her knowing she's pregnant and then have her wake up in her real body at the moment of giving birth (if this all feels violating af, yes it is and it's never addressed)

then the Doctor and Rory go to rescue her, but in the moment they succeed, they discover that the baby Amy is holding is also a flesh double and the evil cult took her daughter/River from her and... *sigh please know I am only saying this because it's how they describe it on the show* "raise her to be the perfect psychopath" whose only wish is to kill the Doctor (all this training or whatever happens offscreen), but then the Doctor almost dies while saving her life and she gives up her regenerations to save him and the obsession turns into love, and so in summary her following the Doctor around is still centred around being groomed to be obsessed with the ground the Doctor walks on (okay can you tell I really really don't like this)

there is no examination of River's trauma in all of this, and only one moment related to Amy being angry she couldn't raise her child. There's also this creepy overtone of "The Doctor can't see you ageing because then he'll get bored of you" considering she was raised to have her whole selfhood revolve around him throughout her entire childhood

the final thing about River Song is that she was held in a top-security prison for awhile because she did end up killing the Doctor due to being "programmed" to, but the Doctor knows ahead of time that this will happen and so manages to change things so he doesn't die

SO that is River Song's arc in s5+6. now let's completely avoid it -- it's surprisingly easy:

s5

ep 1. The Eleventh Hour (introduction episode)

ep 2. The Beast Below

[then come episodes Time Of Angels + Flesh & Stone. a double episode in which Amy meets the Angels and also River Song. the important thing here is that the main "mystery" are cracks in space and time that erase you from having ever existed. the other important thing here is that at the end of the episode Amy is about to get married and kisses the Doctor/tries to sleep with him the night before her wedding, and the Doctor Very Much Does Not Want This, which leads into the next story-]

ep 5. The Vampires Of Venice

ep 6. Amy's Choice

[NOW WE ARRIVE AT THE FIRST SNAG -- if you want the rest of this season's mystery, you should simply watch the rest of the season. This will include River Song in the final two episodes being involved in that mystery, but if you'd rather jump to where I personally think things get interesting again, or gauge if you're up for it, here's the short rundown of salient points:

Rory is swallowed by the cracks in time and Amy forgets his existence (but the Doctor doesn't)

Rory is brought back as an auton/living plastic out of Amy's subconscious memory of him and accidentally shoots Amy due to programming while they're in Roman-era Britain

Amy is then put into a stasis chamber for 2000 years until she can be brought back out and revived using modern technology, and auton-Rory guards that stasis chamber for 2000 years

the cracks in time came from the Tardis exploding, which is making the universe implode, but they fix that

the Doctor closes the cracks in space/time and everything is reset, including Amy's parents returning from non-existence, and Amy and Rory get married -- to be clear, we never see Amy's parents again, nor are they mentioned in the future, so this catharsis is kind of irrelevant

There is a very famous episode in this called "Vincent and the Doctor." it's about Vincent van Gogh. the only thing you need to know going in is that during this point in the timeline Amy doesn't know that Rory used to exist, otherwise it's a solid standalone episode]

S6

ep 3. The Curse Of The Black Spot (to note, I always think this episode makes more sense directly after Amy's Choice as a "they're not married yet, but they're solving their relationship issues now," because s5 never has them adequately deal with their relationship issues, but s6 is solid on that front, but that's just me)

ep 4. The Doctor's Wife

ep 9. Night Terrors (to note, this episode takes place right after they discover that River is their daughter who was stolen from them. notice how this just... never comes up)

ep 10. The Girl Who Waited

ep 11. The God Complex (to note, this is the perfect final episode for the Ponds, but I will rec two more that come next season)

Season six can genuinely just be watched as these five episodes and it's quite an enjoyable season. The only thing that hints properly at a connective tissue related to River Song is that Amy in the first two both is-and-isn't-pregnant (because Amy is a flesh-double in the first two episodes) according to the Tardis scanner, and she sometimes sees a mysterious woman with an eye-patch. this is her briefly slightly waking up while captured

neither of these are relevant to the episodes they appear in

s7

QUICK NOTE: in the first episode of this season the Doctor discovers a strange woman who has been turned into a Dalek, called Oswin. He never sees the face of this woman, but we do, and it's someone who returns again in another lifetime, under the name of "Clara Oswald" -- I do not recommend this first episode, it is Very Very bad)

4. The Power Of Three (to note, this could form a good coda for the Pond narrative and it's a fun episode, but it's not necessary to end their story if you're happy with The God Complex finishing things)

[you can watch episode 5 "The Angels Take Manhatten" if you want (I mean, you can watch anything you want). it's the official canon departure of the Ponds. it's not great, but it's not the worst episode. River Song is there, but it's not so egregious in terms of writing. if you don't want to watch it: they go back in time, there are angels, they send Rory and Amy back in time and the Doctor can't follow them there because of squiggly wuiggly logic, and so they are left to "live to death" -- Amy writes the Doctor a goodbye note in which she says she and Rory have had a very happy life together]

we have now gone past the River Song narrative for the most part, although she turns up in a genuinely not bad cameo in the s7 finale that interacts a little bit with the library episode -- do note that at this point she and the Doctor are *sigh* married I guess. I have mixed feelings about the s7 finale episodes, but it's not because of her character, and I think the latter half of s7 is worth watching for you to form your own opinion of all of it

She appears again in the Christmas special of s9, which I quite enjoyed. I think also Alex Kingston has way better chemistry with Capaldi, and I sometimes think the show knew this too, because they literally at one point had her describing Eleven/Matt Smith as looking like a 14 yr old, which is... such an odd way to describe the seeming "love of your life" or whatever

so that's it for River Song. Hope this all made sense, let me know if you have any other questions

I have a separate list I'm developing like this for Clara's era, but she might be more your cup of tea, so I'll let you engage with her for yourself to gauge. Can always reach out if you're not quite vibing with her, or if you really really are, I'd love to know your thoughts!

[chasing-chimeras]

hi! not a question but just wanna let you know that all of thiam twitter loves your fanfic green zone! I hope there will be a new chapter soon 😁🙏

so i've never been on thiam twitter but i just gave it a glance from my personal account and wow 😭😭😭 you guys are so sweet and it makes me so happy to see the love for @honeyscapes fic on there too 🖤

just to allay some concerns that i saw: i promise it'll get finished, i've got every chapter fully planned out in a 58 page word doc lol and my bf knows about it and is super encouraging bc he knows how good it's been for me mentally. it's really important to me on a very personal level lol 🙈 i'm currently (stupidly) getting a phd lol so the semester's been hectic but i'm taking less demanding classes next semester and i'm done next week so i'll update more in the summer 🥰

(also i promise no mortal harm comes to thiam, berica, or isaac and i'm not sure if i promised allison as well, but her dying isn't in the plan atm. i'm not as committed to keeping her alive but if i promised it in a comment or a/n i'll hold to that and double check before any change of plans where i decide to do it)

[loversj0y]

thinking about the allay minecraft mob. i didn't vote for it back then because it didn't feel very "minecraft-y", but i still like it a lot.

thinking about revivebur with an allay hybrid s/o who is constantly collecting tiny trinkets and handing them to him--- making them into pins for his sweater and jacket (so he can cover up the stitches/scar, if you hc him to have that), tying them into his hair or around his wrists, adding them to his glasses, slipping them into his pockets.

it can be marbles, ribbons of old colorful cloth, cool bottlecaps fashioned into badges, wires twisted to have shapes of birds or trees or hearts, leaves and flowers that they quickly replace as soon as the die, some pretty string adorned with wooden beads hanging from his glasses.

Also thinking about how allay's are drawn to music blocks and jukeboxes.

MAYBE the reader knew ghostbur at the time, and was vaguely friendly with them (allays are blue, and ghostbur had a music store). Maybe they mistook Wilbur for Ghostbur upon first meeting him, and he was immediately stand-offish. He warmed up to the allay eventually though.

Another possible meeting scenario is the reader finding Wilbur when he was trying out his guitar, practicing in some abandoned village and trying to regain some of his old talent.

Also, there's the thing that if an allay is given an amethyst shard while doing the dancing animation, they duplicate.

Now, the reader won't undergo mitosis if Wilbur gives them an amethyst shard (dancing/jukebox not needed), but they might grab his face and impulsively give him a big smooch

definitely a gift-giving love language, but instead of extravagant gifts it's little trinkets that are randomly handed to each other without much context, without even pausing the conversation.

Just hand the other a shiny rock, and continue as if nothing happened.

Speaking of extravagance, Wilbur initially tried to make all these grand gestures and stressed over what to give them (insecurity go brrr) before the reader assured him that he didn't need to make the gifts fancy for them to be appreciated. just give them some pretty seashells and they're happy

i may be expanding these headcanons and make them into an actual post for my blog but there's a part three of another revivebur series that i've been working on since march and i really need to finish it

this is SO cute holy shit. i fucking love this idea. i know so little about the allay mob bc its so new and i havent played mc in months, but i fucking love this idea. the reader just bringing him lil trinkets, lil things and lil gifts.

gift giving love language is SO fucking cute and i absolutely adore it. wilbur would be so nervous abt giving a gift because he wants to make sure its good!!! he wants it to be something good and worth it, but reader is just like. you could give me a penny you found on the ground, and that alone would be enough for me. it is the sentiment

i feel like the idea that its about the meaning not the object is also something that wilbur needs to focus on, learning that sometimes its the actions not the words, sometimes its the idea and not the material form, etcetc

i also really adore this bc it reminds me so much of crows who will often bring trinkets in exchange for food :3