#wip: wings and horns

[simplegenius042]

WIP Wednesday, Enemies To Lovers Meme & OC Dialogue Meme

Tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat and @imogenkol

Tagging @inafieldofdaisies @voidika @cassietrn @adelaidedrubman @aceghosts @josephseedismyfather @icecutioner @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @cloudofbutterflies92 @carlosoliveiraa @wrathfulrook @raresvtm @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @minilev @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @noodlecupcakes @aceghosts @shellibisshe @josephslittledeputy @skoll-sun-eater @g0dspeeed @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @softtidesworld @florbelles and @yokobai + anyone who wants to join.

[Edit: Sorry for the second tagging, I had to fix a mistake on my post and my laptop for some reason negates the tagging I made so… yeah.]

WIP for Life, Despair & Monsters, the Enemies to Lovers Meme for The Silver Chronicles, specifically for Silva and Faith, and the Dialogue Meme for Archangel Metatron and Xiang Ba'al for Wings And Horns WIP.

A snippet of my DDLC WIP You Make My Heart Go Doki Doki Literature Club! Monika has the opportunity to taste her first meal in the real world... a bowl of rice porridge. This WIP is still under heavy construction so things may change in the near future:

Once she had found a relatively empty area, devoid of prying students (and concerned clubmates), Monika sat down on the corner of a stone slab.

Taking one last look around for any lingering peers, Monika's relief was interrupted by the grumble of her empty stomach, yearning for the hot consumable in her hands.

She seated herself down on the cool stone, the shade of the cherry acting as additional protection from the eyes of others. Her skirt acted as a blanket against the slab's roughness.

Monika, though having no previous set opinion on buildings like her high school (the falsity of that reality notwithstanding), however, here she couldn't stop herself from really admiring the architecture. If this were a digital world, as she feared it could still be, she'd still be impressed by the level of detail that its developer's implemented.

But if this really was the reality she yearned for... she was absolutely breathless.

Her stomach rumbled in demand of sustenance once more.

And hungry, she reminded herself, placing the heated bowl of boiled grains on her lap. Faced once more with one of the mandatory functions of having a real body, the anticipation set in.

Hunger was never a concern she had prior in the game unless it was demanded for a scene, but with her new life, she was going to have to make this a daily occurrence.

She looked down at the simple rice porridge, or rather, okayu. At first, she hesitated stabbing her spoon into the bowl. After all, the mix of hot soggy rice drenched in boiled water hadn't looked very appealing. However, it was amongst the few meals she found out could soothe an ailing stomach (after the incident that occurred prior to the week), and the alternative dishes weren't optional today.

In addition, it wasn't something that had existed in the game.

I will give credit though, Monika thought as she dipped the spoon's head into the melted grains, It does smell way too good for something that looks so unappealing.

She brought a small spoonful up to her lips, blowing gently on the heated rice, she closed her eyes before swiftly shoving it in her mouth.

Her eyes involuntarily opened, green irises widening at the new sense. Spoon still in her mouth, her tongue slathered itself in the porridge. The watery texture of the rice grains was dull, and yet, softly comforting in its heat. The mix of boiled rice and water tasted surprisingly nice, and when swallowing it, she hummed in satisfaction as .

It was nothing she had ever felt before; she could never have any sense of taste in the few moments she got to eat in the game. All it was in that prison was nothing. Less than nothing. But here...

Her eyes welled with tears as she stabbed another spoonful into the porridge. She didn't know if this was reality or a less limited version of her former one, but she was grateful for this all the same. In quick succession, she had nearly devoured half the porridge, and savored in a dish by looks alone shouldn't be this good.

She wouldn't be satisfied until the entire porridge was empty in the bowl.

[NOTE: I will most likely rewrite this scene in the future, as I want Monika's reaction to be a lot more impactful, considering in the game she probably could never truly "taste" the food she "ate" (if she was given the chance to eat anything that is)]

Anyway, have an enemies-to-lovers meme for the slowest-burn couple I've ever had the pleasure to make; "Boa Lurking In The Bliss", or rather my FC5 Deputy OC Silva Omar x Faith Seed ship. Also, for some reason, Silva has a questionable taste in women; most of whom (Irene and Faith) are powerful, feared and dangerous & manipulative, with the only normal commonality between them that Silva finds attractive and mesmerizing being their green eyes. Anyway, meme and template below:

To clarify, these two change a lot throughout their... uh, for a lack of better words, complicated romance. Especially when it comes to Faith. Also for the "would kill", Faith would have killed Silva if Joseph gave the a-okay during the "I hate this woman for destroying my weed crops" phase, however, this ultimately changes later down the line when she realizes she has feelings. Also it's not that Silva doesn't hold a little contempt towards Faith's actions in the "Hate Meter", but she's honestly got worse people to hate (a prominent figure being her father, Adam Omar). Things get better... eventually.

I've got two Dialogue memes for two major characters in my Wings And Horns WIP; that being Archangel Metatron and Xiang Ba'al. Metatron's is first:

Translation for the small text:

Have them introduce themself:

"Greetings to you, saintly soul. Have no fear. I am the Archangel Metatron, and from the Heavens, I seek your assistance."

Describe their voice, generally: (e.x. accent/type/inflection)

There's a certain gentle divinity in it, with an atmosphere of wisdom retained, like an experienced worker or an older man. Clearly masculine but not too deep.

In their own words, what are they proud of/what is their most passionate interest?

"I am impassioned by my service to the Allfather of the Heavens. Any work I do under his name I find to be an honor. One of my proudest achievements would be leading an exodus of a flock of believers out of harms way."

They've been caught doing... something! Can they talk their way out of it?

"If I can, on my word, blessedly sworn by the Allfather, his kingdoms and his children… I have a reason and probable jurisdiction too which I can and will explain."

Free space/Dramatic Monologue!

"Cadet… I wish you the best. And should your journey be… opposed by non-believers… you have my endorsement to proceed to the next life. If that means much anyway…"

[Image Reference Credits: Art of Archangel Metatron that I found posted on Quora]

And here's Xiang Ba'al's:

Translation for the small text:

Have them introduce themself:

"Well, well, well… Hello there good pedestrian. You look a little down. Perhaps horrified even? All because of that dreadful soul mark isn't it? No need to worry, I'm not here to judge. I'm here to give an escape from this cursed "destiny". Who am I? Silly me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Xiang Ba'al… and I offer you freedom."

Describe their voice, generally: (e.x. accent/type/inflection)

Xiang's voice is deep and rough, but in spite of this, he holds a certain mix of showmanship and a upperclassman (which he is not). Whether this is an act of playfulness or a mockery towards the Heavens, he often uses it when freeing humans of their red string.

In their own words, what are they proud of/what is their most passionate interest?

"I'd have to say removing those restrictive marks from those humans above had been quite liberating. Not to mention, it eventually worked in our favour… the lord dickheads in charge realised the system was collapsing and axed it before it could get worse."

Free space/Dramatic Monologue!

"Jezebel was long abandoned by her family when they allowed that perversion of a marriage to go ahead. To them, she was just property to benefit off. To me, she is my reason to continue this crusade against those pricks up above. She is why I got off my ass in Hell. She is why I learned to cook. She is why I learned to read, to write, to travel and work and do all the things a demon of Sloth would think ridiculous and a waste. They told me, "She will be the undoing of your nature." And maybe they're right. I no longer sleep the millenia away. I no longer wish for a final ending. I no longer let the rot of regret and shame chain me. But I'm not unhappy with that. Why? Because she is my reason to live. Her smile. Her cheer. Her obsession with scissors. And if bringing down the system that damned her in the first place makes her sleeps ever more peaceful, then Archangel, you can fucking bet I'm not going to stop until your superiors FINALLY GET OFF THEIR ASSES!"

[Image References: Kagetane Hiruko from Black Bullet and a picture of a sloth].

And here are the empty templates below:

[simplegenius042]

The most "evil" hero OC I can think of from the top of my head would be Kamski Neon. Sonya and Ress were a close second, however, when it comes to the most immoral acts, Kamski takes the cake. Kamski is Silva's personal/family doctor (and the father to her dead lover Irene who was killed in a massacre that they both survived), and Kamski has a (understandable) disdain towards so-called "prophets" and those who overzealously and blindly follow said prophets. And while he thinks he does have Silva's best interests in mind, it doesn't justify the acts he commits, which only increase tension and breaks his trust with Silva. Kamski kills the cultists in the Project at Eden's Gate (aka Peggies), including those who are unarmed non-fighters, and very much would kill any defectors seeking to change their ways. He destroys a lot of property that Eden's Gate initially stole from the locals, including resources that the Resistance could use, and he has no regard for his Resistance ally fighter's lives, which is mostly due to Kamski's "us vs them" attitude; with him and Silva as "us" and everyone else as "them". Kamski is also not hesitant in manipulating and pushing Silva into showing no mercy towards her enemies, actively discouraging potential peace and going behind her back in certain decisions.

The most "good" villain OC I have is Xiang Ba'al. A demon from the Sloth Ring of Hell, Xiang takes responsibility over the soul of a little girl named Jezebel who was damned as a "Sinner" down in the Pride Ring after being murdered by a Soulmate who wasn't appropriate for her. Angered by this injustice, Xiang takes Jezebel under his wing, teaching her how to fight and use her mantis cutters as weapons, and they travel to the human world to dismantle the Soulmate system after seeing how it negatively affected Jezebel. Xiang is well-intentioned, however, he was also very forceful in his cause, removing soul marks from people regardless if they asked him to or not, if they wanted it or not. However, Xiang doesn't harm anyone (at least, those who are innocent), though isn't afraid to defend himself and Jezebel from both humans and angels alike. Xiang is a well-intentioned extremist, one who tries to minimize harm rather than cause it (and though he does take away people's choice in whether or not they want to meet their soulmate, or worse, have met their soulmate but thanks to him, can no longer feel their connection with their soulmate, Xiang only harms others if it's in self-defence; so a literal noble demon).

Tell me, which of your hero OCs is the most “evil,” and which of your villain OCs is the most “good?”

[goodsmellerart]

☀️ first pass at the Princesses 🌙

[ratpinkpunk]

Sketch concept that might become a fully rendered piece

(Also sorry quality is crap)

[myfandomincolor]

Just thinkin about the House of Hope's big suave cambion host who definitely fucks

[capricioussun]

Found the old alt sketch and cleaned it up a little 💫

[millennium-queen]

🎃Trick or Treat!!👻

Any new spooky artwork in the making?

“A demon but you look so..” “cherubic? Yeah it’s funny that”

I don’t know how much this counts as a WIP seeing as it’s more of a spooky idea I doodle to myself on and off but Demon!Peeta lives in my brain forever

[soullessjack]

hi guys goodnight

[loafeebuns]

Miscellaneous wips / doodles GRAHH,, redoing the pose in the first pic!

[insomniiuh]

princess twilight and noodle

[pearl-kite]

WIP Whenever

Another unprompted and untagged WIP WednesdayWhenever. Very uninspired recently so I decided hey, maybe I can redo something REALLY old, like this thing of Gale and Claire from 2009.

God, fifteen fucking years, oof. I can see issues with my proportions today, but I have DEFINITELY improved by leaps and bounds. God they were bobble-heads in that old one, and that was not the goal.

I don't think I talk about Claire a lot. She's a succubus and sort of adopted them as a sibling, much in the same way an extrovert will adopt an introvert. I also dragged her into FHR as the puppet o3o;; Other than that, she doesn't really get the attention she deserves as such a long-extant child of mine, sadly v_v

God those proportions were horrendous, though

Since I wasn't tagged I'm not trading anyone, but if anyone was wanting an excuse, feel free to say I tagged you o3o

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday, WIP Wednesday & Last Line

Tagged by @cassietrn and @voidika

Tagging @imogenkol @inafieldofdaisies @adelaidedrubman @shellibisshe @aceghosts @socially-awkward-skeleton @noodlecupcakes @josephseedismyfather @icecutioner @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephslittledeputy @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @carlosoliveiraa @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @raresvtm @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries @nightwingshero and @lulu2992 + anyone else who'd like to join.

Got songs for The UnTitledverse, Wings And Horns and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, with a snippet for a new FC5 The Silver Chronicles WIP as well as a last line for You Make My Heart Go Doki Doki Literature Club!. You can listen to the songs and read the WIPs snippets below:

Legend is important. It's part of history and culture. It should always be preserved in the present to better understand our past to make way to the future. Now many of my series divulge into legends and myths and old stories. Some of them outright make reverence to events long passed (the Extermination Purge Wars, the Big Bangs, the fall of the Houses of the Old Gods and the foundation the Time Bureau Authority, etc). Sometimes all that was in the past emerges into the present (with the likes of the Arachnoids, Exterminators, the Old Kin and more). However, one historical text in my series is the abolishment of the (while benevolent, very flawed) Soulmate System, which my Original Work Wings And Horns is set in. The plot is that more and more mortals are being discovered without soulmarks (which come in the form of marks, initials, countdowns, etc, depending on the person and timeline), so the New Gods send Archangel Metatron and an Angel of Death cadet, Azriel, to investigate the phenomenon to see whether it is natural or manufactured. Metatron wants to preserve and fix the system because he believes mortals require it, meanwhile Azriel just wants the credit so her soul can be reincarnated at an earlier date. The duo behind the soulmark removals is a Sloth Demon by the name of Xiang Ba'al and his adopted daughter, a Sinner's soul by the name of Jezebel. This cat and mouse chase is what ultimately dictates the decision the New Gods are debating; should mortals require on the guidance on something as small as love? Or should mortals find the love of their life on their own, a small step to gifting them a responsibility that had drastically the status quo beforehand thousands of years ago; that being, Free Will?

"Legends never die When the world is calling you Can you hear them screaming out your name? Legends never die."

"They never lose hope when everything's cold And the fighting's near." "It's deep in their bones They'll ride into smoke when the fire is fierce." "Oh, pick yourself up 'cause

Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die!"

"Legend never dies They're written down in eternity But you'll never see the price it costs The scars collecting all of their lives."

"When everything's lost They pick up their hearts and avenge defeat Before it all starts They suffer through harms to touch and dream." "Whoa, pick yourself up 'cause

Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die!"

"Legends never die." "When the world is calling out your name." "Begging you to fight." "Oh, oh, oh, pick yourself up Once more, pick yourself up 'cause

Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die Legends never die!"

"Legends never die."

Walking Fate is a fic series in The UnTitledverse based in Telltale's The Walking Dead video game. The fic classically follows (most) of the game/s, but does diverge a bit off with pivotal focus on Clementine and an OC of mine whose the runaway son of Darling Enterprises, a multi-business juggernaut, Malcrum Darling, and their relationship. They're definitely not "tragic star-crossed lovers". I'd never do such a thing in The Walking Dead universe. Here's a song about Malcrum's feelings towards Clementine that's definitely in no shape or form supposed to be interpreted as inno- I mean twisted. Enjoy!

"Hey, he-ey-ey, he-he-hey

Your lipstick stains On the front lobe of my left side brains I knew I wouldn't forget you And so I went and let you blow my mind

Your sweet moonbeam The smell of you in every single dream I dream I knew when we collided You're the one I have decided who's one of my kind

Hey, soul sister Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo The way you move ain't fair you know Hey, soul sister I don't wanna miss a single thing you do, tonight

Hey, he-ey-ey, he-he-hey

Just in time I'm so glad you have a one track mind like me You gave my life direction A game show love connection we can't deny

I'm so obsessed My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest I believe in you Like a virgin, you're Madonna And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind.

Hey, soul sister Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo The way you move ain't fair you know Hey, soul sister I don't wanna miss a single thing you do, tonight."

Throughout A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, one universal rule is applied; it doesn't matter you are. From a vault dweller who drew the short straw to a psychotic resident of Vault 76 whose a bit too obsessed with wanting to kill her neighbors. A talking Deathclaw to a Ghoul addicted to chems. A brother who wants to uphold the morals his mother taught him in the Wasteland to his amoral sister who kicks old people people and harasses the less fortunate because she's from a wealthy crime family. Because in the end... they have to stand up to Arcane Urias. (Those poor fuckers are gonna die LOL!!!). Because I guess it's the right to do (in the context of self-preservation against the threat of annihilation).

"Up in the morning, up in the evening Pickin' down clocks when the birds get back to eat Oh, to eat

Up on the mountain, down in the king's lair Pushing these boxes in the heat of the afternoon Oh, afternoon

We were never welcome here We were never welcome here at all No

It's who we are, doesn't matter if we've gone too far Doesn't matter if it's all okay Doesn't matter if it's not our day

Oh, won't you save us, what we are Don't look clear, it's all uphill from here Oh-oh

Up in the attic, down in the cellar Lost in a static, coming back for more Oh, for more

Out with the reason, in with the season Taking down names in my book of jealousy Jealousy

We were never welcome here We were never welcome here at all No!"

An long FC5 WIP for The Silver Chronicles, a new one at that, one I'm naming after the lyrics of David Kushner's "Daylight"; because David Kushner and his songs fit The Silver Chronicles on a scary level. Anyway, the WIP is called Oh, I Love It And I Hate It At The Same Time. You And I Drink The Poison From The Same Vine. Hiding All Our Sins From The Daylight... also known as "the fic where Silva and Paul survive the Tumultite Massacre together and their father/daughter relationship worsens into co-dependence in Montana". Where's Elsa and Persephone at? Well, they'll arrive in the later half of the fic... along with Kamski. Despite the fact their relationship not being "gonna kill you for hurting me even though you were good once", this is far from a good and healthy outcome for both Silva and Paul. In spite of this, they make a dangerous duo (as expected of the two), something the Seeds kind of suspect when they meet them. Enjoy being as lost as the Seeds are in this scene snippet below when Paul interrupts them meeting the Muse herself at a social gathering Pre-Reaping. [Would like to add that the WIP is fairly new, and I'm still working on this scene, and may make a few changes in the near future when I have the time. Expect some mistakes]:

When the question left Joseph's mouth, he felt a pain clutch his shoulder.

With a surprised hitch of his breath, he glanced down to gloved fingers that dug into his shoulder blade with an astonishing unnatural amount of strength.

"Her padre, of course," the soft gleeful voice of the hand's owner answered from beside him, the tone sickeningly sweet.

The stranger's head faced Joseph, his eyes closed to Joseph's seeking blue. His lips curved up in a polite and cheerful smile, one that should be dripping with honey.

The man's eyes briefly opened to reveal burning yellow eyes, bordering on an intense gold. Joseph could not shake the feeling that he's seen those eyes before. A vision perhaps?

Joseph felt himself tense as he recognized the way this man looked at him; the way John sometimes gazed upon the Sinners. A predator that has targeted its prey. And it was Joseph who was already in his clutches.

The man blinked, and the inhuman hue was gone. Instead, a pale hazel resided in its stead. He drifted his eyes away from Joseph, locking with the oblivious grey of the deputy that heralded the coming of the Collapse.

An inexplicable dread coiled in his gut when the man's features genuinely lightened at the sight of his family's judge.

"Ah, il mio piccolo Boa!" he greeted with a beaming grin, letting go of Joseph's aching shoulder to push past him, swiftly making his way to Silva to the Seed's collective daze. The man wrapped his arms over Silva's body, embracing the slightly shorter woman. She seemed delighted by his unexpected appearance.

They both pulled away, though gloved hands remained on the other's arms. The man, though a stranger to the crowd around her, seemed to be a familiar face to Silva. Joseph watched the stranger's hand glide caressing fingers across her dark hair affectionately, following the slivers of the dyed silver trails that reached to her braid, "And how are you fairing this fine hour?"

Silva graced the question with a smile; not the formal and polite smile that served to keep a front up to strangers, but one with an undeniable sincerity shining through.

"Hola to you too, Paul," Silva returned with bemusement, "I was just making some new friends. What brings you over?"

From behind Paul, Joseph could see the man's head tilt. Through the abrupt gesture, Silva's features suggested she understood the meaning, "Um, amigos, Paul."

"Ah," Paul seemed to understood, sneaking an obvious glance towards Joseph and his siblings. There was no trace of gold in those hazel eyes, and the intensity lesser than when he locked eyes with Joseph, but the suspicion directed towards them held a sharp edge to it. Paul let another word roll down his tongue, but the tone matched his gaze, "Amici."

In spite of the growing uneasiness, Joseph willed himself to keep a calm front. He was unsure why Paul off-put him. Joseph regarded the man; his stature was slight taller than Silva's, but similar to Joseph's own height. He was older than all of them, including Jacob; perhaps a decade older. His hair was blonde- or rather, dyed blonde, as Joseph noted the light brown at the sides of his head. His complexion wasn't too dissimilar from Silva's own, maybe deeper.

Joseph took note of the few faded scarring scarcely scattered around his face, and like Silva's, time had laid its healing hands on Paul's own wounds.

Joseph paused his observation, about to make introductions with the askant man when John stepped forward first.

"Yes, we were giving our compliments to Silva for the couscous salad you've brought. She was just telling us it was a co-opted effort," John stated with a grin, one Joseph's had become accustomed to over the years. John's move peaked Paul's interest, his suspicion replaced with curiosity. With his audience captured, Joseph watched approvingly as John continued, a hand outstretched, "I don't believe we've met mister...?"

Recognition shined in Paul's eyes, though it was swept away with a grin bigger than John's as his gloved hand grasped John's in a steady shake, "Yellowjack. But please, just call me Paul. I've always felt the term "mister" gives off the impression I'm married, or worse, boring."

Jacob raised a brow, though refrained from commenting as John replied when letting go of Paul's hand, "Noted. So, are you a friend of Silva's or family?"

Paul shared a glance with Silva and replied, "Family. I'm her padre. I've taken care of her for a long time."

Joseph focused on both Silva and Paul; he couldn't find anything indistinguishably shared between both, though he considered that Silva might just take after her mother than Paul. However, he didn't discard the possibility that Paul was Silva's adoptive father rather than her blood relative.

He kept his thoughts to himself though; reasoning that bringing up the question wouldn't be appropriate so early now. Especially if there's a layer of deception underneath Paul's relation with Silva; he didn't want to unintentionally compromise her safety if Paul held more sin than Joseph already suspected he did.

Silva spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention as she pointed out, "You know Paul, you never answered my question."

Paul seemed to stiffen; clearly a dramatic display rather than serious, as Paul finally answered Silva, "Well, you see, I had caught up with good ol' Virgil before he had to run off for his own business and I saw you speaking to these truffatori impopolari, quindi volevo solo controllarti. You know?"

Joseph and Jacob shared a glance; none of them could interpret the words Paul had sputtered out, though Joseph relaxed when Silva gave Paul a soft smile, "I'm grateful for your concern. But I've got this handled. Gracias, though."

Paul relaxed his stiffness, and Silva brought his attention back towards them, "Now how about some introductions?"

"Great idea," Paul agreed, hazel scanning across the four siblings, "How about we go oldest to youngest?"

Jacob's mouth thinned, blue eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Paul with harsh judgement. Joseph watched as his brother scanned the older man's black and yellow attire. It was flaunting a level of wealth, typical of someone who indulged in vanity. However, that didn't sit right with Joseph. He decided to dwell on it later as he watched Paul and Jacob.

Paul glanced to Jacob, and after a pause, he leaned closer, "Let's start with you ragazzone."

Jacob stared down Paul, who was an inch or two shorter than the red-head. He exhaled out an annoyed huff, and gruffly stated, "Name's Jacob."

Paul hummed and straightened up his posture, hazel eyes trailing Jacob's forest green jacket and body. His eyes seemed to linger on the American flag, Jacob's burns and, oddly enough, his biceps more often. Paul clicked his tongued and nodded his head approvingly, "That checks out. But man, sei una delizia per i miei occhi."

Silva had a bemused expression at Paul's words. Jacob, though, raised a brow, "Mind sharing on what's on your mind?"

Paul had snapped out of his trance, and he swiftly blurted out, "Oh, I just said you looked good, is all."

Paul's attention hastily turned to John and Joseph. He looked between the two, but when the older man focused on him, Joseph witnessed his cheer drop abundantly when their eyes met.

The cold dread surfaced once more. The dead-eyed scrutiny the older man reserved for Joseph alone alarmed him. Joseph could not understand Paul's behavior. Neither could he recall any cases where he could have slighted the man, despite this being their first meeting. He'd never seen Paul in any of his visions, only Silva.

Regardless, Joseph chose to retaliate with a gentle greeting, "My name's Joseph. My family and I run the chapel over on the island by the Henbane."

"Oh yeah, I know," Paul calmly told him, all the playfulness gone, "You're the head of the Project at Eden's Gate, correct?"

Joseph curtly nodded in confirmation, and Paul continued, "Yes, I've heard quite a lot about you. Folks around here always have something to say about your little project."

Joseph's lips thinned, disappointment resonating in his chest. So the sinners lies are spreading swiftly. He was displeased by this knowledge, but he resolved to help Paul see the light. If not for his own soul, then the sake of his daughter's.

John stepped in, interrupting the exchange, "All good things, one would hope."

Paul turned attentively to John with an upbeat rejuvenation, disregarding Joseph, "Well, they can't certainly be all bad now, can they?"

Paul's change in demeanor reminded Joseph of John; both hid their emotions behind a carefully crafted mask and would only reveal their true feelings to those they liked or trusted. However, Paul had more self-control over his emotions and mannerisms.

"And I don't believe you shared your name," Paul pointed out to John.

"John. And if I may, we'd encourage you and your daughter to come for at least one sermon," John invited. Joseph smiled at John's attempt to salvage Paul's soul.

The man in question gave a brief glance to Silva, who shrugged, before returning to John and saying, "Preferirei di no."

John waited for Paul to specify but the latter's attention shifted to their final sibling. Joseph caught a flash of an offended scowl on John's face, so Joseph reached a calming hand on his younger brother's shoulder. It worked, the scowl lost in a practiced exhale.

"Oh, look at this, they have a sorella Silva," Paul said with a grin as he stepped closer to the shorter Faith. Silva narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her father.

Admittedly, so had Joseph.

"What's your name?" Paul asked. Faith shifted, hands behind her back as a delighted smile stretched across her lips with an answer, "It's Faith."

"Faith," Paul repeated her name, seeming to break it down before giving a small bow, adding with sincerity, "A powerful name for a powerful woman. It suits you."

Paul's compliment had three separate effects from what Joseph could see; it had flattered Faith, who thanked Paul for his kind words. It had annoyed John, who rolled his eyes at the exchange.

And it had concerned Joseph, at least as the Father; while he had entrusted Faith in a role that required her to attract converts to their flock, he was weary of those with perverse sins that would embolden them to act on certain depravities.

There had been minor incidents that had occurred, at least in earlier years, though Faith had shown a strength and belief that always reaffirmed him in his decision to bring her in. Especially when she purified the souls of those who indulged in such vices, allowing them to serve the Project free of their sinful shackles; as angels.

He monitored Paul, watching as the man gazed into Faith's eyes, and saw once again how he lightened up. Paul noted aloud, "I must say, you have such lovely green eyes. Is that a recessive trait?"

As Faith gave an explanation to Paul, Joseph was more confused. The way he stated the detail was too specific. And he had stated loud enough for only their small group to hear.

He glanced to Silva, and was met with a menagerie of changing expressions; first was confusion, then came analysis, followed by baffled realization, until she finally settled on looking unimpressed.

With her reactions, Joseph was at a loss on how to view this interaction between Paul and Faith. Until Paul pulled out of his conversation with Faith and attentively singled Silva out, "You know Silva, se volevi solo parlare con la ragazza, non dovevi fare di tutto per incontrare prima tutta la sua famiglia, right?"

Silva blinked at Paul, staring agape as she processed the stream of words he told her aloud. A blush darkened her skin, grey eyes wide in astounded and embarrassment.

Ah, I see now, Joseph deduced, glancing from Silva to Paul, He's teasing her.

Evidenced by the cheeky grin that grew across Paul's face as he continued, "Lei è certamente una partita. Se vuoi, posso impartirti un po' di saggezza sul primo appuntamento. Purché non riceva un invito a nozze entro la fine dell'anno, eh Silva?"

Silva furrowed her brows at Paul, the blush expanded. She traversed over to grab Paul, telling him, "¡Ey! ¡Ya es suficiente de tu parte!"

Despite an irate Silva telling off a snickering Paul who fruitlessly tried to calm down his daughter, Joseph couldn't help but be endeared by the display in front of him. There was something else too... but he elected to push it away for the time being.

Joseph turned to address his family, and paused as John commented to Faith and Jacob, "Who here suspects this isn't an uncommon occurrence between these two?"

"I don't doubt it," Jacob affirmed, eyeing the duo, specifically Paul, "He's definitely the embarrassing parent."

And here's a few short paragraphed snippets for my DDLC WIP called You Make My Heart Go Doki Doki Literature Club! for the Last Lines tag. Sayori (plus Yuri and Natsuki) enters the club and interrupts... something:

The door class door clicked open, and both students snapped their heads to Sayori entering the class, who freezes once her blue eyes took in the sight of a frazzled and flushed Monika whose uniform was unkempt and fists were gripping the opened blazer flaps of the equally more disheveled and flushed new student Haoyu, both of their faces in close proximity of each other.

"This isn't what it looks like!" a horrified Monika quickly utters out, letting go of Haoyu's blazer and letting the green-dyed brunette troll drop to the floor with an ignored 'oomph!' as she went to address her club's co-president.

Only to stutter when, much to her horrifying embarrassment two more familiar faces entered the room beside Sayori; that of Yuri who didn't immediately comment on the situation and Natsuki who rushed in with a burning question to Monika's poorly timed outburst, "What doesn't look like what? Wait..."

Monika watched as Natsuki regarded her appearance, and then her pink eyes shifted to Haoyu leaning up nearby the coral brunette; who was repeatedly trying to blow hair away from their face, to a miserable degree of failure.

Once pink met emerald green, Monika could feel sweat start to break when she unfortunately witnessed a mischievous and teasing glint shine in her clubmate's eyes. With a teasing grin, Natsuki asked, "So what's going on in here?"

[what-is-love-babey-dont-hurt-me]

Early sketches for a concept I plan to play around with

[librathefangirl]

actually scratch the list i need to know EVERYTHING

Well, let me tell you about a few more then. Let's talk about these:

The Loss in Victory (Emptiness)

Losing a Part of Me (Is Like Losing a Part of You)

Mel with tiny horns and wings

As the Night Falls

Pirate Melban AU

The Loss in Victory (Emptiness)

This is the Zeldris angst fic I was talking about back in... September, I think it was? It's supposed to be for Day 31 of Whumptober, and the prompt "Emptiness". (So the actual fic title is just "The Loss in Victory"). It's a hurt/no comfort fic taking place during the First Holy War. Basically, Zeldris struggles with the news that Meliodas is dead, and also struggles with the fact that it is actually hitting him that hard because:

He should be happy about this, yet all he felt was like someone had taken a big chunk of him out, leaving an empty nothingness where his hearts were supposed to be.

And here is a longer sneak peek:

As Zeldris made his way down the hallways, they parted before him. Anyone standing in his way quickly moved out of the way, letting him pass without any hesitation. If anything, it seemed people kept their distance from him more now than ever. Perhaps it was due to the urgency of his walk, or the tension in his posture, or maybe it was whatever showed across his face. Zeldris couldn’t tell. It was all a blur to him, nothing but the insistent need to get away, get away, get away! He was desperately holding onto the last shred of his composure like a lifeline. He was exposed out here, feeling the gazes of everybody he passed. He had to get away, to his own room. There, at least, nobody was watching, granting him the small piece of privacy he needed right now.

Losing a Part of Me (Is Like Losing a Part of You)

And here we have another demon bros angst fic. Also focused on the effect of the war/them being on different sides/Meliodas' curse. This time with focus on Meliodas. You can actually thank @hihopelessromantics for binging my attention to a post about Meliodas and Ludociel having scars from training their brothers, which is what inspired this fic. I saw that post and mind immediately went "oh I can make angst out of this".

So, as for the fic, it focuses on this idea of Meliodas having these scars that Zeldris gave him. Scars that he treasure a lot. They remind him of moments he got to have with Zel as kids, of training together or sneaking off from the castle together or even just finding a chance to goof of together. Big or small, they are moments he got to have with his little brother, where he got to be a brother to Zeldris. They mean a lot to him but - uh oh! - the DK and his assholery enters the scene. With the curse, Meliodas body is healed every time he is resurrected, including the scars from Zeldris. Meliodas struggles with losing the scars Zeldris gave him, feeling like he is losing those good memories of them together, and losing Zeldris in a way.

(Unfortunately, no sneak peek available for this one).

Mel with tiny horns and wings

Now onto happier - oh wait, this one is actually angstier than I originally planned... Anyway! This one is inspired by a conversation I had with @zorria about Meliodas with horns and wings. I wanted to write about that, but also make it really tiny and adorable.

Meliodas has an impressive set of wings and horns, but, given the whole hiding he is a demon thing, he needs to hide them. Problem is, he can't actually make them go away. All he can do is shrink them (think the sizes of a baby goat or tiny fairies). Normally, his hair and clothes are enough to hide them, but the Sins discover them anyway. And here the angst comes!

Actually, this was supposed to be a silly little fic about Mel having some adorable demon features with a side of angst in the form of his fear of them rejecting him. But then Meliodas fell in a lake! Okay, the falling in the lake was always going to be a part of the fic because I needed to get him wet, but the amount of angst that came with it was unplanned. As was my mind deciding that what if in this au Meliodas can't swim...

Sneak peek time! I've actually already shared a snippet from this one (here), so here's another one:

Which was the real problem that sunny late afternoon, wasn’t it? Meliodas couldn’t swim. If you have ever been in a situation where you are faced with the possibility that you could die right then and there, you know the feeling. The pure panic that overtakes your body. The way you fight with everything you have; frantically, desperately, without control. Meliodas had been there too many times. He’d also gone one step further, been faced with the inevitable realization that he was going to die. The moment where there was no fight left, the resigned acceptance. Maybe that had gotten worse with the years. If Meliodas died, he wouldn’t really die. Even if he accepted it, even if he actually welcomed it. There was no end to this life.

As the Night Falls

This is another fic inspired by Zorria. It's about Meliodas struggling with his nightmares (because we all know that man's gotta have nightmares after his 3,000+ years of hell), featuring a worried Elizabeth and a sleeping Tristan.

Not sure I have much more to say about this one, so here's a sneak peek:

“Hey, hey, you’re okay, we’re okay. I promise, we’re okay.” Elizabeth’s voice was a light to a dark cave, wrapping around him like a blanket and zapping away all the tension. Meliodas slumped back against the leg of the bed, head thumping lightly against the wall. Gods, it felt like he hadn’t slept all night – but clearly he had. His eyes finally decided to focus, giving him a close-up of Elizabeth’s worried frown as she crouched before him.

Actually I couldn't decide on which sneak peek to share, so here's another:

Meliodas tried to not react to the mild accusation, but she saw right through him anyway. Elizabeth always seemed to know what was going through his head. After all this time, he couldn’t hide. She sighed softly, sitting down on the floor beside him. “I worry about you, you know,” she mumbled, leaning her head against his shoulder. “We all do.” Meliodas grimaced at that; he had thought he’d hidden it better than that. Clearly he’d lost his touch. He supposed sleep deprivation did that to you.

Pirate Melban AU

Now I know you know a bit what this one's about. But I don't think I've actually talked about specific plot, just the general concept of Pirate!Ban and Merman!Meliodas. So, let me tell you a little about the start of our story. We meet Ban, a young pirate with a foul mouth and a bad habit of getting himself into trouble, who is (once again) finding himself without a ship to call home. While running from the consequences of his actions (literally), Ban ends up taking shelter in a cave. He's not the only one though, because further into the cave he comes across a wounded merman. Ban has grown up hearing (horror) stories of the merfolk living deep in the sea, so what if he ends up a little too curious about the stranger - he can't help it, especially after discovering the he has an attitude to match Ban's own.

A new little sneak peek (previous one can be found here):

How the fuck did he keep getting himself into these situations? Not that his one was his fault. Nope. The captain was the one who'd decided to cut his losses - meaning Ban - once they got into port. Ungrateful son of a bitch! Ban had given years to the Raven and now he was going to be left with nothing – just like that? Fuck no! So, Ban had helped himself to a little – okay maybe not so little – of their loot. So what? He'd helped get that, he deserved his cut.

Actually, since it's probably gonna be a long while until this fic is finished (I'm not the best at focusing on long multichapter fics lol), here's another sneak peek too:

With the first roar of thunder sounding, Ban surveyed his safe haven for the night. It really was an ugly cave. Cracks ran over the walls, splitting the brownish-gray color. From the outside, the cave had looked unstable, but inside it seemed sturdy and strong. Well, at least he wouldn't get crushed to death. Ban pushed off from the wall, walking further into the cave. It wasn't that big, narrowing off into a smaller tunnel the further he walked. A section of the ceiling suddenly dipped down, causing Ban to smack his head right into it. "AH fuck! Shit, that hurt."

WIP Tag/Ask Game!

[cillysketches]

Bestie sent me a TikTok with these shirts in it and I knew what I had to do ❤️ 🩷

[magnetarbeam]

Show of Trust (WIP 1)

[I really should be working on the next chapter of Scandal of the Century, but I'm still kinda stuck on that, so here's where my hyperfocus has taken me today.]

”How did you get in here?“ Corran asked, upon seeing Mirax in the bunk that usually belonged to his wingmate.

”Your Gand friend let me in,“ Mirax explained. ”Coolant pump went in the Skate…“

As Mirax explained her presence, she felt how thankful Corran was to see her, and the affection that she had no doubt would grow to cause serious tension if she didn't head it off now.

”I agreed because there's something else I need to tell you,“ Mirax finished her explanation.

”What is it?“

”I'm a lesbian, Corran.“ Mirax was surprised at how easy it was to say it.

”Oh.“ He was visibly surprised, and Mirax thought she felt a tinge of disappointment.

”I appreciate that you're telling me,“ Corran said evenly. The disappointment faded behind self-recrimination as he gave her a sincere smile. “I don't have a problem with that.”

That, she knew, was the truth, at least as he believed it.

”I enjoy having you as a friend,“ Mirax said sincerely. “I didn't want to lose that because of romantic feelings that I'll never reciprocate.”

“Fair enough,” Corran shrugged. “I probably was going to fall in love with you.”

Mirax rolled her eyes. Flyboys.

“Hey, friendship is important too,” Corran acknowledged with a smile that was replaced by a frown of uncertainty as he seemed to realize the implications of Mirax being off limits.

“Don't tell me you're seriously thinking of hooking up with the bacta queen,” Mirax deadpanned, bitterness rising in her at the reminder of the spike in bacta prices.

“What?” Corran seemed caught off guard by the statement.

“I saw the look she gave you when I showed up on the Reprieve,” Mirax recalled, trying to calm herself. “And she is really hot. I can understand the temptation.”

Mirax trailed off as she tried to figure out what to say next.

“But?” Corran prompted after a second.

“I have a bad feeling about her,” Mirax said simply, trying to avoid the subject of-

“What kind of feeling?” Corran asked, because of course he did.

“Feelings I've learned from experience that I should trust,” she answered hesitantly. Her father had repeatedly emphasized the need to keep this a secret from anyone she didn't completely trust.

“Where do these feelings come from?” Corran asked curiously, then caught himself. “I mean, I understand if you don't want to talk about it.”

After she took a moment to search her feelings, Mirax realized that she felt safe in talking about it. It was still hard for her to figure out how to explain it.

“For most of my life,” she told Corran, “they just happened.

[Hyperfocus burnout and sleep deprivation are co-conspirators against my writing abilities right now, but this is going to proceed with Mirax explaining that she knows it's the Force because she heard Wedge recall Luke's descriptions and realized they matched her experiences (and Booster, who's old enough to remember the Clone Wars, must have at least suspected, which is why he made sure she didn't talk about it), and then Corran talks about his own Weird Feelings about Erisi and they put the clues together.]