#was a bit of a struggle at first

[gz-missfit]

Trying to write out something about these 2 from yesterday cause I'm ngl I'm still fucked up about the way the got separated </3

These 2 are gonna be the death of me at some point, and even now with a clearer mind I'm still not ready to cope with what happened pffff.

They couldn't see each other but still locked eyes, Pac having just received a message on his communicator from Fit about coordinates they've been searching the prison for to finally save their Walter Bob. They were quick to climb down the floors to meet up with said man, hushed whispers calling out to him as he focused harder on his work and mumbled his answers to them.

It wasn't until Pac's skin started to tingle that he realized they didn't have much more time to explore, and the glance he could throw at Mike's flashing form due to their potions running out told him he wasn't alone. All 3 quickly said their goodbyes to Fit, appreciating his help and leaving with hearing the apology of not being able to join due to needing to finish this job, the anxiety of losing the position creeping into the bald man's eyes.

The travel was quick, laughs shared as all 3 of them rode their horses, laughing at Richa's stumbling or an off-hand comment by Mike. It didn't feel like a mission to save their friend for a bit, but rather to just meet up with someone they hadn't seen for a while. As the 3 climbed up on the stoney shore dug up by hand and their sons eyes fell onto the edge of the jungle their stomachs dropped. 

Blood.

A trail of blood leading behind the bushes and into the shaded areas deep in the woods that surrounded them. Pac could feel the anxiety claw at his throat, the scratches it made during the time they explored the prison and he got caught in a trap still being raw and sore causing his panic to rise even faster. Glancing at Mike told him his other half wasn't feeling the same type of fear though.

Mike's eyes were locked on the blood, his look dark and threatening like he was just waiting for the person they could blame for this to show themselves so he could explode in their face, and the hisses of anger that erupted from deep within the hybrid made Pac worry about him actually physically exploding. It wouldn't have been the first time.

A rustling of the bushes made Pac swing his head around, his eyes scanning the green landscape that surrounded the trio and it took him a few takes before he noticed the entity floating in front of him. Before he could even draw a weapon he started shouting towards his son, moving to cover him as Mike stepped closer again to see what the yelling was about, hiss dying in his throat like he was frozen as soon as his eyes locked onto the entity as well.

Pac's whole body shook as it approached, his anxiety already being at a high now shooting through the roof as he separates from Richas in a desperate hope to lead the entity away, begging it to follow him rather than go for his son. It was only then that he got a good look at the sword the being now held, it was a longsword. Shattered in the middle of the blade, being held together by seemingly nothing except for lines of code invisible to the naked eye. It shone green, emitting green particles that were glitching out as soon as they fell from the weapon.

Pac's breath caught in his throat.

Come to think of it, when was the last time he took a breath?

Mike's voice cut through the fuzziness of the panic attack that was currently trying to wash over Pac like a wave of ice cold water. He shook his head, trying to look for the location the voice was coming from only to feel a slice at his arm. The blade stung as it pierced his skin and he could feel an almost poison like magic run through every bit of his body. It set his veins ablaze for a split second and once he came back to himself he noticed the items he held dear in his hotbar were now scattered on the floor. Green glitching particles clinging to them like parasites.

He stumbled back, Mike's voice getting clearer now that the adrenaline had pushed his panic attack deep down into himself where it should've been in the first place, he finally finds his voice again as he calls for his other half. Desperate as he feels another slice of the sword in his back as he runs, he ends up getting caught in some bushes, closing his eyes tightly as he calls out to Mike that this is it. That he doesn't want to go but he can see that Mike's sword bounces off the being like it's nothing. That he needs Mike to get out of there, to stay alive. 

Just as he was about a hit away from passing out, wounds scattered across his body sizzling with the same green particles that surrounded the items that got taken from him mere seconds ago and were now scattered across the floor, did he hear a thud. He carefully opened an eye just to rip them open as he saw the thing follow Mike now, his body desperately protesting the movement of his muscles against the plants he got caught in which were ripping at his wounds as he tried to move.

It all went black.

He was soaked.

He could feel Mike's breath against his arm.

He opened his eyes and instantly locked them with Forever, he could see the others mouth moving but nothing was being picked up by Pac's brain, an almost humming static getting louder and louder as he could feel the green particles in his wounds buzz with what he assumed was sick and twisted anticipation of what's to come. 

Looking to his side he could see Mike, passed out after a nasty hit on his arm and hitting his head during the rough teleportation of their shared stasis chamber, Pac reached out through their mental link and physically. Hands shaking at the adrenaline wearing off and pain of his wounds becoming clearer to his mind. He activated Mike's warpstone and set it to the location of their safe room which they spent the day after their prison escape in, looking back he couldn't have told anyone why he did it. Just that he had a feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong and he needed to know Mike was safe. He needed to make sure he was safe. He needed to protect the person he chose to have a bond that goes beyond words with even if it meant sending them away.

Green eyes slowly opened and locked with Pac's dark ones, he smiled sadly as the particles that had embedded themselves in his wounds buzzed brighter setting his body ablaze with a yelp. While Mike's vision got clouded by the purple particles taking him to a location he didn't know. He could see Pac get drowned out by green ones, and before he could reach back for his friend both vanished. Mike's purple cloud taking him to a place of safety while Pac's green one ripped him apart and put him back together a few feet above a deep ocean.

As he fell he could do nothing but call for Mike, pulling at the strings that merged their minds together in a desperate attempt to hold on as the cold water forced a painful gasp out of his lungs. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes but were quickly washed away by the angry waves that pulled him deep below the water, his lungs burning at the pressure of it and it forcing itself into his body as he desperately tried to gasp for air. He knew he was close to passing out, fear rushing to his mind of this being the end but a bitter smile making itself onto his face as he realized his son was safe, and with how he could now also feel Mike desperately rip at the strings that bound them together it told him he was safe too. He let out a bitter chuckle which forced more water into his lungs as he finally let his eyes fall close from sheer exhaustion, the last thing he did was call back to the ripping in his mind yelling for the others name only to have the strings snap before his eyes. 

Everything was black now.

Tazers mind was now offline.

On the other side of the island a creeper/slime hybrid was now on his knees. Tears flooded from his eyes as he desperately called out to his best friend's name with a voice that's obviously been screaming for a bit now and was at the border of breaking through the abuse his vocal chords were taking. He couldn't even say goodbye, waking up from having passed out through a teleportation only to be met with Pac's eyes and see him be engulfed by a green cloud that made his wounds glow as Mike's warpstone engulfed him in a purple one, the teleport almost made him throw up as he quickly scanned his surroundings only to realize he was in their safe room. One where he'd spent endless nights of being shook awake by nightmares of Walter Bob being taken only to have Pac there by his side to ease the pain of each one. 

The room felt empty without the others' presence, even with it's small size.

Mike could feel the anger bubbling in his throat at Pac for sending him away, not letting him stay, not letting him help. Before he could call out Mike was hit with a wave of coldness that made his bones clatter at how deep it ran into him, his eyes snapping wide open as he realized that the strings in his mind that connected him to someone he couldn't see right now were pulled tightly and being covered in a thick layer of ice that reached Mike's body in a phantom feeling. He scrambled to call back, to call Pac's name the same he had just called his but there was no response. His calls fell onto nothingness as his soulbounds voice echoed in his brain. Mike was panicked about to get up and try to get out of the room where Pac had sent him, only to freeze as a snap ran through his brain. He quickly tried to pull at the all familiar strings that connected to Pac, even with one of them asleep there'd be something transmitted among them even if it was just the heavy weight of a sleeping consciousness. But there was nothing. All he got was a TV static like buzzing and even that felt like utter silence in comparison to what he'd usually get in return.

So here he was now, fallen to his knees as he clutched the Pacman pendant he had held for decades close, Pac carrying the matching creeper one. His voice was hoarse and raw as nothing but sobs left his mouth in hitching painful breaths as his body dealt with the aftershock of burning lungs and freezing bones.

He was alone with his thoughts now, no constant stream of input from the person he chose to spend his entire life with, only a faint buzzing as he begged for that connection to still be there, nothing but silence and emptiness surrounding him.

Mike's breath hitched painfully as exhaustion and blood loss from his wound finally hit him, the adrenaline letting off and causing his body to be hit by waves of pain and exhaustion. He fell forward, landing in the soft padding of the floor of their safe room as his eyes started to fall shut he could do nothing but whimper as his body lost the energy to even fully cry. Hoping he'd wake up to someone else there, but also wishing he would never wake up until there actually was someone there. But he knew this world wouldn't be that kind to him. With a few last painful breaths his eyes finally fell shut as his cries fell onto an empty arena with no one to hear him.

Craft was now alone. 

And he needed to be stronger than ever before.

[moonyistired]

kris deltarune in some outfits i thought they'd like

[hollytree33]

Hi so I might’ve made a painting of my Inquisitor while trying to mimic Solas’s style so I can pretend he made it

[soosoosoup]

treasure planet au, last of the batch (Poppy & Floyd)

[chitinleg]

got him off-balance!

[heymacy]

IAN GALLAGHER + his journey with bipolar disorder

╰┈➤ “At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of." - Carrie Fisher

[daily-odile]

everything is the same except Odile is the one looping

oh. heheheheh. muahahahaha. hold on *digs through my pile of disorganized sketches*

Odile loops au; a sketch compilation!!

Some old fic drabbles + associated sketches under cut (a6 secret spoilers):

hc: Since equipment carries over, as long as Odile uses her book in a fight, she can write down notes and have it carry over loops

toxic doomed yuri (for a more fleshed out fic I highly recommend The Sweetest Thing by soreimoon, it's amazing)

[smokbeast]

”Bento”

#inktobertale2024 Day 8

[galoogamelady]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but how do you make your lineart so nice, clean, and not pixelated? Your art and animations are incredible btw 👌👌❤️❤️

Thank you!

I use big ass canvases!

As you can see, smaller details still look a bit crunchy, but they will be okay once you zoom out to view the whole image.

Alternatively, maybe drawing with vectors in CSP would be useful for clean lines?

[turtleblogatlast]

Leo frowns at his phone.

Or more specifically, at the test on his phone.

Around him, he hears the sound of his brothers tapping their own devices, much faster than he is. Looking up just makes Leo feel worse about his own progress - or lack-thereof.

Mikey’s the fastest, speeding through the test like nobody’s business. He’d been the one to make them all do this stupid test in the first place, so it makes sense that he’s having a blast.

Raph’s slower than Mikey is, but he’s still clearly answering the questions at a steady pace. Sometimes he looks unsure, but he powers through anyway.

Donnie often looks frustrated, which relieves Leo somewhat because at least someone is struggling like him. But that “struggle” isn’t nearly as big as his own, considering that Donnie is answering about as fast as Raph is.

Leo turns his gaze back down to his own test. He’s still near the beginning, he thinks.

He’d put the same answer for the past seven questions - the middle of the road answer, neither a “yes” or a “no.” Then, whenever he does come across one that is more one direction than the other, he second guesses himself and restarts the test!

Sure, there are a few he could definitely give a yes or a no to, but…never the “strongly agree” or “strongly disagree” that the test seemed to want from him.

He eyes his twin sitting nearby, the softshell absorbed in the test. Maybe Leo should copy what Donnie put for some of these…

“DONE!” Mikey’s shout makes Leo freeze in place just as he started to lean over.

“What?” Donnie squawks, “No way you’re already finished, you must’ve been cheating!”

“It’s a personality test, Dee!” Mikey stuck his tongue out, “You can’t cheat at those!”

…

Leo settles back into his seat.

Ignoring Donnie’s mutterings about how it was “just because it’s not an academic test” that he didn’t finish first, Raph smiles encouragingly at Mikey.

“Hey, good job! So what’d you get, Mike?”

Mikey looks back down at his test, reading aloud, “Says that I got the “Campaigner”!”

“What’s that mean?” Leo asks, his phone screen going dark.

“Apparently, I’m an “enthusiastic, creative, and sociable free-spirit”.” Mikey reads, smiling at them, “You think it fits?”

“Oh, to a T, bro!” Leo laughs, giving Mikey a thumbs up, making Mikey’s smile grow larger.

Inside, Leo was feeling a lot more mixed about this. He has no idea how Mikey knew himself so well. Maybe Donnie was right and Mikey did cheat, because how could he answer those questions so easily?

Leo’s phone burns in his hand. He keeps it locked.

“Wow, that really is you.” Raph says, his eyes flitting back and forth between his own test and Mikey, “Do you think it fits?”

“I guess? It’s fun to see at least!” Mikey shrugs with a grin.

“Hold on, I think…” Raph makes a noise of satisfaction, “Okay, done!”

“Sigh, now I’m relegated to the straggler group.” Donnie grumbles, his thumbs moving faster as he tries rushing through the questions.

“Ooh, what’d you get Raph?” Mikey asks, practically bouncing in curiosity.

“Says, uh…I got something called the “Consul”?” He squints his eyes to read more, “Uh, “caring, social, and community-minded.””

“Sounds about right to me.” Leo nods. Can’t be more “community-minded” than being a hero.

“Yeah, no one’s more caring than you, Raphie!” Mikey says, moving to lean across Raph’s shell.

“You do put the community in mind, that’s for sure.” Donnie states, not looking up.

Raph chuckles, a bit embarrassed, “Aw, thanks. It’s just some test, but it feels kinda good to hear that.”

Just a test. Right.

Leo unlocks his screen.

The test stares back at him.

Right. Okay. He can do this. He can.

The screen ends up going dark again.

Frustration builds up in Leo. Was he even halfway done with the test? At this rate, soon even Donnie will-

“FINISHED.”

Leo unlocks his phone.

“What’d you get, DonTon?” Leo asks as his thumb taps the top right of the screen.

Donnie puffs up proudly, a self sure grin on his face, “I got the result “Logician” which states that I, obviously, am an “innovative inventor with a thirst for knowledge.” Truly could not have described me better, if I do say so myself.”

“It is pretty accurate.” Raph agrees with a nod, “Even calls you an inventor, so extra accurate.”

“Super accurate.” Mikey jumps in, eyes shining.

“Yes, yes, almost like reading my own character synopsis.” Donnie’s grin had not dwindled since the word “innovative” had left his mouth.

Leo just nods along, eyes on his own screen as he skims the words. “Yeah, kinda creepy how close it got. Could have called you a nerd for extra accuracy, though.”

Donnie turns to him, eyes narrowing, “Have you even finished your test? I can think of a few words that’d describe you fairly well.”

“Test-y, huh?”

Before Donnie can strangle Leo, Raph cuts in.

“Ok, ok, calm it down, guys.” He rolls his eyes before turning to Leo. “But really, you’re not done yet?”

“Leo’s taking this self reflection seriously.” Mikey sports a faux intellectual expression as he gives a jokingly serious nod. “Maybe we all should’ve taken our time.”

“Says the one who sped through the whole thing in a record time.” Donnie mutters.

Leo waves them all off, “Nah, I finished it ages ago.”

He grins when Donnie immediately shoots him a suspicious glare. “Oh, you did, did you? Then what could you have possibly gotten, Nardo?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Leo clears his throat, “Neon Leon just so happens to be an “Entertainer.””

“Ah. That confirms it. This test is meaningless.” Donnie drones.

“Hey-“

“What’s an Entertainer like?” Mikey asks with a tilt of his head, still hanging off of Raph’s shell.

“Glad you asked, Miguel!” Leo exclaims, “It says that “life is never boring” around yours truly~”

He emphasizes this “result” of his by waving his phone with said “result” on screen.

It’s just an image he found of his chosen personality result, but they don’t need to know that.

Raph nods slowly, “Well, I guess that’s true…”

“”Never boring” is one way to put it.” Donnie hums.

“You are pretty fun, Leo!” Mikey says emphatically, because he’s great like that.

“Thank you, thank you, life of the party, right here.” Leo grins, pointing both thumbs at himself.

He’s careful not to go too overboard with it, or else it might tip someone off.

Not that it…really matters. It’s just a test. Like Raph said.

As the topic around him shifts to something else, jumping away from this brief activity as fast as any other among them, Leo finds himself unlocking his phone and pulling up the test again.

Unanswered questions stare at him. He knows what answers Lou Jitsu would pick. He knows what answers Jupiter Jim would pick. Hell, he knows exactly what answers his brothers would pick.

He doesn’t know what answers Leonardo would pick.

Leo stares at the test for a second longer, before he exits the site and throws himself into the conversation happening around him.

It’s just a stupid test, nothing to worry about.

Just a test…

[milkybishop]

"- but with whom can you sit in water?"

and who can hop in the bath with you to make a show of not caring about your tattoos, and how can you not find it hard to hide your disdain at the attempt.

because either this is a trap you have blindly walked into again . . . or he really does love you and could have loved you all this time. and despite all that-

you cannot turn from the path that you are on.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Redraw of my first post on this blog. Oh how far we've come B'*)

[Now with it's own redraw!]

[faux-ecrivain]

Yan Emperor

(Twelfth Official Post)

(Duke’s name is Isaiah Hartfeld)

(This one might be a bit muddled, but I tried my best.)

(Emperor’s name is Adonis Margold)

(this one focuses on the Emperor, part two should focus on the Duke)

     The Duke, Isaiah Hartfeld, was well known for being a promiscuous womanizer and he often caused an uproar in society. Which is what prompted the Emperor to marry Isaiah off to someone that would whip him into shape, you. You were a well known person throughout all social circles, you were the head of you family and you didn’t let anyone push you around. Of course, when the emperor first proposed such an idea you immediately shut it down. You didn’t explain why, but you did say that nothing in this world would ever make you change your mind. So, he decides to offer you something out of this world, something only he can give you.

     The Emperor greets you as you enter the throne room, a sly smile on his tanned face. “Ah, Good Morrow, my dear friend, how are you this lovely evening?” He descends from his throne, his boots click against the marble floor. He holds a gloves hand out and waits for you the greet him, you reluctantly grab hold of his hand with one of your own gloved hands. (Gloves are very popular around here) You place a respectful kiss on his knuckles (which, of course, causes the Emperor to smile) and then let go of his hand (which causes the emperor’s smile to fall).

      “I am doing no better than any other day, why did you call me here, Your majesty?” You respond with an air of formality and familiarity. The Emperor frowns, finding your formality unnecessary. “Come now, my dear subject, formality is not necessary. We’re practically family!” He says with a grin on his face and wink of his eyes, you, however, are confused. But you just nod your head and let him say what he wants. He waits for your response, but his joy diminishes with each second of silence.

     He clears his throat and pats your shoulders. “I see you’re in no mood for small talk, so I suppose I should just get to the point.” He forces a smile on his face and places his hands on your shoulders, he chooses to ignore the way you lean away from him. “I’ve decided that you shall marry Duke Hartfeld.” Your eyes widen and you’re about to disagree when the Emperor interrupts you. “Ah, Ah, Ah, I already know what you’re about to say, but trust me, you do not want to reject this deal.” He leads you to a nearby chair, which seems to have been placed just for you, and sits you down. He kneels, on one knee, in front of you.  “Your majesty! What are you doing?!” You exclaim, finding his behavior strange. He brushes off your worries and continues speaking.

     “Listen, [Y/N], I know you aren’t from this country and I know you want to go home. So, if you marry the Duke and straighten him up, then I’ll take you home.” Your expression shifts from disbelief to doubt, how would the Emperor send you home, and how does he know you aren’t from here? Unless, by home, he means returning you to your country. Which would make more sense, because you were a prisoner of war when you first came to this country. Now, you’re a high ranking general and commanding an army, you can’t help but be proud of yourself. “What on Ilasatra do you mean?” (Ilasatra is the equivalent of earth in this world.) You ask him, a frown developing on your face.

    The Emperor smirks and brushes your hair back, then he stands up and begins to circle your chair. He stands behind you and leans his head down to whisper into your ears. “You know exactly what I mean.” He purrs, placing his hand on your shoulder and caressing it, which causes you to lean away from him. He touches you far too much, it makes you very uncomfortable. Your breath catches in your throat and you can’t help the hope that claws its way to your heart. “You can send me home?” You mutter, turning to face him and your gaze catch his. There’s such a hopeful look in your eyes, he smirks, it amuses him and then his eyes are caught by your lips. Oh, how he wishes to love you, but you would be of better use whipping the Duke into shape. 

    He clears his throat and drags his gaze away from yours, he resumes his previous action of circling your chair. His hand trails down your arm and causes goose bumps on your skin (because you’re uncomfortable). “Yes, I could get you home, but only if you do something for me first.” His tone is quite mysterious, he seems to know something you don’t. “It will be worth it, I promise.”  His hand entangles itself with yours, you pull away and he reluctantly lets you go. 

     You contemplate his words, your brows furrowed and you wipe your hand on your coat (which, of course, causes him to chuckle). You hesitantly agree, knowing that making a deal with the emperor is a bad idea. “Very well then, Your Majesty, I trust you.” His heart flutters when you admit to trusting him, he didn’t know those words could have such a pleasant affect on him. He smiles and yanks you out of your chair, he then places both his hands on your shoulders. “That’s wonderful, [Y/N], I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” He traps you in a tight hug, despite how uncomfortable it makes you (and it makes you very uncomfortable).

      You struggle somewhat to escape his grip, eventually giving up and letting him hold you as long as he wished. He sighs, his mind awash with loving images of you and him together. He knows it will never happen, but he surely can dream about it. You’re pretty sure he was sniffing your hair and that was your sign to escape the hug, so you stepped on his foot and then backed away from him. His pained groans are muffled by his hand and he tries not to scream, he forgot how sharp your boots were. “Ah, my dear, that was quite rude of you, but I’ll forgive you, just don’t do it again.” He warns you with a rather playful tone, even waggles his finger at you, but the threat is real. You frown and shuffle away from him. 

     He tsks and drags you back to him, although he does have to fight as you dig your heels into the marble flooring. “Come now, dear, I won’t hurt you. Don’t you want to know what I need from you?” His smile tightens as he struggles, he didn’t expect you to be so strong. He chuckles nervously, he even sweats a bit (which irritates him because he absolutely despises sweating). He lets go of you, causing you to stumble back yet you retain your balance. “Okay, you just stay there and I’ll explain the deal to you, alright?” You nod your head and he claps his hands together. His smile grows and his tone shifts from agitated to cheery. “Wonderful! My dear, do you know who Duke Hartfeld is?” You nod again, then verbally respond. “Yes, I’ve heard rumors about him.”

     Actually, you’ve heard many rumors, all of them attest to his hedonistic lifestyle. You don’t like him very much, you absolutely despise him. The Emperor smiles again, he smiles a lot, and walks towards you. “Great, I want you to marry him-“ You gasp in shock and then interrupt him, because there is no way in Natiscle (Natiscle is the equivalent of hell in this world.) that you’re going to marry that worthless wrench of a man. “Oh, like Natiscle I will marry that man! I wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on Ilasatra!” You exclaim loudly, the servants in the room startled by your behavior. The Emperor is amused by your response, he chuckles and feels himself growing fonder of you with each word that escapes your mouth.

     “Oh, Baiyases, (Baiyas is the equivalent of heaven in this world, so Baiyases is the equivalent of heavens.) now dear, you shouldn’t overreact. He really isn’t all that bad, if you ignore his faults and he won’t be any trouble if you smack him around a bit.” The Emperor does not like the Duke, at all, and neither do you. But you could never smack Duke Hartfeld around, he’s so weak and it’s not like he’s a criminal. “Oh, no, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.” She responds causing him to rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Oh, please [Y/N], you’ve dealt with far more reputable enemies than that old Duke.” You cringe when he mentions your past, as a general you’ve had to take down many people and you hate being reminded of that. Also, the Duke Isn’t that old, he’s actually younger than you. Which might explain his promiscuity, they say, that is the noble women say, that young man are very adventurous, and often have trouble committing to a relationship. 

     You sigh, a frown etching its way onto your face. You look away from the Emperor, which causes you to miss his frown, and then think about his offer. You don’t want to marry that wretched Duke, but the Emperor says he can send you home and you really do want to go home. You sigh again and massage your temple. “Okay, I’ll do it, but you have to promise you’ll send me home right after. I don’t want to stay with him any longer than necessary.” You fold your hands together and tug at your gloves. The Emperor smiles once he hears you accept his request and he can’t help but hug you again. “Oh, thank you so much, my dear! All I need you to do is whip him into shape and then you can leave, okay?” 

      You nod, then wriggle your way out of his hold. This time the Emperor doesn’t frown, he seems happy to have heard you agree to his favor. “How long do I have to be married to him?” You ask, causing him to tilt his head and pretend to think. “Oh, perhaps two or three years. That’s not too long, is it?” You groan, just a week around that Duke is too much. You couldn’t fathom spending two years with him, let alone three. The Emperor chuckles upon seeing your disgusted face, he takes joy in knowing that you despise the Duke just as much as he does. “Is that alright, dear? Surely you could handle two, or three, years with the Duke? After all, you’re a very strong person, the Duke couldn’t be much worse than those on the battlefield, right?” 

     You frown again once the Emperor brings up your past, he sure likes to do that. You sigh, roll your eyes and cross your arms. “I can’t do two years, but I’ll do one year.” The Emperor tilts his head, amused and intrigued by your behavior. Not many nobles would have the gall to negotiate with the Emperor, that’s why your his favorite subject. “Hm, a year and half.” He says, which causes you to glare at him, then speak again. “No, one year and three months.” The Emperor exhales and his eyes narrow, he’s becoming irritated with your boldness. “A year and two weeks.” He responds, you consider his offer, then nod your head. “Fine, a year and two weeks, but no more.” He smiles, quite happy now that you’ve agreed with him. “Wonderful, oh, I can’t wait for the ceremony!” (Although, he would rather you marry him, but oh well, such is life) He claps his hands together and kisses your cheek, as a way to share his congratulations, but it just made you uncomfortable.

———————————————————————

Bonus Scenes:

You: “Do you really think me strong?” Not many nobles admire your strength, they believe you should fit into a certain mold, and it’s rather frustrating.

The Emperor: He places his hand son your shoulders, a flirtatious smirk on his face. “Why of course, darling! You are so very strong, the strongest person I’ve ever met..” He purrs, his hands trailing down your arms.

You: You puff out your chest upon hearing the Emperor compliment your strength. “Hmph, that’s right, I’m the strongest person around.” 

The Emperor: He chuckles, amused by your behavior. He thinks you’re absolutely adorable, he’ll do anything if it means having you next to him.

——————————————

(Hope you enjoyed this fan fiction, this one was a bit longer than most of my other written works. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it and please leave a comment if you want more.)

(This is just part one, it focuses more on the Emperor than the Duke, but don’t worry the Duke will have his turn soon enough!)

(this took hours and days to make, mostly because I procrastinated, but at least it’s done. This is part one, part two will, hopefully, focus on the Duke.)

[solargeist]

OMG I JUST NOW REALISED IN YOUR POST "Dad dancing"

XELQUA USING THE MUMBO FOR MAYOR SHIIIIRT AGH

*Family Guy dead pose.*

yeah !! Xelqua occasionally wears Grian's clothes, they're big on him tho of course

[demaparbat-hp]

When I saw you making For the Spirits art I was so excited, wow, one of my favourite artists is reading this too, how nice!! Then I realised you’re actually the author and I just want to ask, how?? Are you so talented???? I love this fic and I love your art so so much, thank you for sharing it all with us. Can’t wait for the next update!!

Ah, thank you! This is literally so sweet! For the Spirits (adding a link for the curious folks out there!) is my love child. This project owns my heart and soul, and it's truly so rewarding that you like it! I want to sketch so many different scenes, really, but I'm doing my best to give you some quality artwork of my favorite moments in the story. It's a slow process.

As for next chapter—soon! I'm working on some sketches for this particular scene, and I am so excited to share it with everyone! Things start to pick up from here... But, for now, have a (very little) sneak peek ❤️

Zuko stood at the end of the world, surrounded by miles of snow and the resounding echo of his own shallow breaths. He took everything in, closed his eyes to receive Agni’s light, and howled.

Something howled back, and he smiled.

[cobaltfluff]

so i started playing persona 4

where are the QoL features