#zero does look like she stirs shit up at the camp

[sinful-lanterns]

if Zero ends up having similar powers to Suspect R, I guess the Researcher will end up having another Doppelganger (or a sort of subspecies?) who brings chaos at the camp lmao, can you imagine what will happen if both decide to team up-

the only difference is that Zero doesn't take 100% the form of others and you can recognize her more easily

-🧶

Actually, I have thought of making Zero a Cheshire Cat in my Monster AU, because appearance-wise, she does look kinda like a cat and seems mischievous enough to be like the one from the original Wonderland story 🤭

Ofc, we could also do the doppelgänger route but with a twist! If I am allowed to pull a MGE, I would like to come up with my own monster called a “Copycat” specifically for Zero! Copycats would be a cat-like monster species related to doppelgängers and other feline monsters, as they have cat-like characteristics but have the ability to shapeshift and copy appearances.

Since the MGE makes their own “monsters” all the time, why not pull a page from their book and make one of my own! I like the idea of Zero being either a Cheshire Cat or a Copycat, so rlly it’s up to you on what she is 😅

[nastybuckybarnes]

A Broken Fairytale  -  Seven

Pairing: Prince!Bucky x Reader AU

Summary: Sold by your mother, you work as a servant for the King and Queen of Acadia. The Prince, much to his initial dismay, takes a liking to you. When a wicked woman intervenes, your life is nothing more than a prison sentence. With a war on the horizon and a betrothal to a missing Princess that he can’t escape, Bucky is forced to be the Prince -and King- that his father wants. A pawn in a bigger game than the two of you realize.

Warnings: Language (Maybe), Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 2.3K

A/N: Guys it’s gonna get intense soon. This is your final warning because in the next chapter... shit is getting real. :)

SERIES MASTERLIST MASTERLIST edited poorly

~*~

“I’m not sure how much more of this my heart can bear, my love,” The Queen says, tears welling up in her eyes as her dear friend informs her and her husband that still, after nearly twenty years, there’s no trace of their daughter anywhere in the kingdom.

“We’ll keep looking, your majesties. Not a soul will rest until we’ve found and returned your daughter, I swear on it,” Tony says. King John nods sadly and looks down.

“You’re dismissed, Anthony.” The brunet nods, bows, then leaves the throne room, intent on finding the lost princess.

“My Queen?” Queen Valerie looks at her lady in waiting, a distant look in her eyes. “Come, let us get you to bed,” Pepper says softly.

As the days pass, the Queen grows weaker and more distant, the loss of her only child heavy in her mind. It’s not that she and her the King didn't try to have more children to unite the kingdoms, but each and every single one was lost halfway through her pregnancy. She cannot help but feel as if this is the Gods punishing her for some atrocity she had committed in a past life.

“The Kingdom grows colder with each passing day. There are whispers of war on the streets. We’re poor as it is, but if we were to go to war? There’s no way we’d survive. I want my daughter found, Virginia. I want her found soon. I cannot bear to think of what she might’ve had to endure these past years.” The redhead helps her queen up the stairs, listening as the woman expresses her concerns.

“You worry far too much, your Majesty. Anthony will not rest until his goddaughter is found, you can be sure of that. We’ve scoured the Kingdom and we plan to move on to the forest next. He’s considering sending a small group to Acadia to look for her there.” They slowly make their way through a long corridor with only three doors, one of them being the King and Queen’s bedroom.

“You know about the locket? Everyone’s been made aware? That is what will bring her here,” The Queen says, squeezing Pepper’s hand tightly.

“We’re searching for the Princess, her locket bright in our minds. We will find her, your Majesty. There will be no war and we will unite the two kingdoms, as we swore to do.” Queen Valerie nods and stops walking when they get in front of the second door in the corridor. “You’re dismissed, Virginia.” Pepper bows, sad eyes lingering on the Queen for a moment as she takes her leave.

Queen Valerie walks into the room that has sat unchanged for the past twenty years, a single tear dripping down her cheek as she approaches the crib. Her hands shake as she picks up the stuffed rabbit that sits there, not a speck of dust on his head.

She begins to hum, as she always does when she’s in this room, and she prays to the Gods that they find her soon, not for her Kingdom, but for herself. She wants nothing more than to hold her daughter in her arms again and never let go.

~*~

You’ve set up a small camp of sorts by the glowing river, resting yourself and your mare for the night.

You’re warming your hands on the small fire you were able to make when a low growl catches your attention. You glance over your shoulder, standing slowly as you see the large black wolf. It’s eyes seem to shimmer in the light of the hand-moon and you swallow hard.

It takes a step towards you then stumbles, a whine leaving it’s mouth. You frown and try to see what’s wrong, eyes widening when you see the trap digging into it’s back leg.

You take a step towards it, hands raised in front of you as it snarls.

“Please, just let me help you. I promise I won’t hurt you.” The wolf bares its teeth, growling at you as you approach slowly.

“I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to help you.” You get onto your knees, and slowly crawl towards it, surprise filling you when it sits down, eyes watching you with guarded curiosity.

When you’re close enough, you slowly put your hand out, closing your eyes as the wolf leans in. Instead of biting you, like you thought it would, it sniffs you curiously then licks your palm.

A surprised laugh falls from your lips and you grin, gently running your fingers through the fur of its side.

“Are you gonna let me help you?” You ask softly, moving closer and inspecting the metal locked around it’s leg.

“I’ll hold it open but you’ve gotta move quickly, I’m not as strong as I look.” The wolf watches, tail starting to wag as you grab either side of the metal, prying it apart with great difficulty.

Your fingers are sticky with blood and the metal creaks and groans but eventually yields, opening slowly. The wolf jumps out then lies down, licking its hind leg protectively.

You let go of the trap and huff out a breath, grinning as the wolf nudges you with its snout.

“Not many people would stop to help a wolf. Especially not in these woods.” You whip around at the voice, swallowing hard as you see the woman standing there. She’s tall, with billows of black hair flowing to her waist, eyes as green as the forest itself, and olive skin that looks like it gets kissed by the sun every day. She’s gorgeous, to say the least.

“I... I couldn’t just leave it. It was hurt,” you explain, fingers finding the soft tufts of fur laying beside you. The wolf seems unfazed by the woman and you try your best to calm down.

“You’re very brave.” You shrug, looking down at the wolf for a moment. “I couldn’t possibly leave it in the trap. It has done nothing to deserve such a fate.” The woman looks at you, lips pursed.

“Where are you coming from?” Your heart clenches and you look down. “I... Acadia. The king means to kill me.” She hums, eyes zeroing in on the necklace around your neck.

“But that’s not where you’re really from, is it?” You snap your gaze back up to hers. “H-How did you know?” She smiles, her face softening.

“Gather your things and come with me. I have a small cottage just deeper in the forest. You and your horse can get proper rest there.” She turns and starts walking away, pausing when you don’t follow.

“Why are you helping me?” You ask hesitantly. “You saved someone very dear to me. The least I can do is offer you food and shelter.

“Seileach! Thig!” The wolf rises to its feet and limps after the woman. The pieces click in your brain and you scramble to gather your things, your mare already following the wolf and the woman.

You walk for maybe fifteen minutes before she stops, a quaint cottage in front of you.

“There is a small stable around the back. Bring your horse there then come inside. I’ll put some tea on.” You nod, following her directions and bringing your mare around to the stable where she almost immediately makes herself comfortable. You kiss her gently on her forehead then make your way into the cottage.

You’re immediately struck by the scent of lemongrass. It’s surprising but welcome, and you follow the sound of humming. The woman stands by a small wood-burning stove, a teapot warming on top of the flame.

“Come, sit. I’m sure you have many questions.” You nod, sitting down at the kitchen table and jumping slightly as the wolf bumps your knee with its snout.

“Seileach,” the woman says, her voice warning.

“What does that mean?” You ask, scratching the wolf behind it’s ears.

“’Willow’. It’s her name. She’s been my... companion for many years. I was out looking for her, I could feel her pain, when I found you.” You mull over this for a moment, trying to make sense of it.

“Are you... a sorceress?” You ask softly, not wanting to offend the woman. “I suppose you could call me that. I’ve been given many names before, as have you (Y/n).” You’re absolutely shocked that she knows your name.

“You’ve strayed a long way from home. But you know not where your home is.” You nod slowly and she smiles. “My name is Erutan. I live and guard these woods. I have for centuries and I will for centuries to come.” You watch as she pours you a small mug of tea, adding a spoonful of something then stirring it slowly, whispering words in a foreign tongue before pushing the mug over to you.

You slowly raise it to your face, taking a sniff of it before bringing it to your lips. You take a small sip then sigh, closing your eyes and enjoying the taste and the feeling of warmth it brings you.

“What language were you speaking?” You ask, looking up at her. She smiles from across the table, taking a sip of her own tea.

“The language of the place you’re travelling to. If you plan on living in Corona, you should learn the language.” You look down with a frown, “I... I was learning until...” She nods, not needing any further explanation.

“I have some books on it. I can teach you, if you’d like?” You look up at her in confusion. “You’d really do that? Why?” She smiles softly at you. “You have a kindness in your heart that I have not witnessed for many years. You’re ambitious and driven and your soul needs nurturing. If I can help in any way then I will.” You smile and nod, accepting her offer.

~*~

“When I told you to deal with the thorn in my side I didn’t mean send her right to her parents! I wanted her as far from Corona as possible! Now you’ve only made matters worse!” Her voice is low but full of rage as she glares at the knight. He raises his hands in surrender, scoffing at her anger.

“She’s gone, out of the kingdom. You only said you wanted her gone so now she’s gone,” he says simply, not understanding what the woman truly wanted.

She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tries to compose herself. “You are going to find her and you are going to kill her. I don’t care how many you need to slaughter, as long as she’s dead. I want her head on a silver platter delivered right to my doorstep!” Brock’s surprised by the request but if he’s paid enough he’ll do just about anything. There is one thing he’s wondering though.

“Why do you hate her so much?” He finally asks, watching as the woman opens her eyes, storms brewing in their grey depths.

“It’s not so simple as hating the girl. I hate her family, her kingdom. I hate the very blood that runs through her veins. Her mother stole something from me. Something very precious to me, something I had kept near and dear to my heart. And then the little brat was born, destined to continue the bloodline, to deprive me of one of the few things I had truly earned in my lifetime! I will not stand for it any longer! Her mother has stolen enough from me! If I was denied access to my rightful place in the kingdom, my rightful place as Queen, then she shall be too!” Her chest heaves as she rants, eyes almost glowing with anger.

The pieces click in Brock’s head and his eyes widen.

“Is... is that servant girl... the....” He trails off, not wanting to say it out loud for fear of someone finding out what he’s done and who he’s speaking to.

“That girl is nothing more than a little brat who knows nothing of the real world. She’s a burden, a thief, and she needs to be dealt with.” She takes a deep breath then smiles sickly at Rumlow.

“You will kill her. Then when the two kingdoms cannot be united, King George will wage war on Corona. The King and Queen will fall and King George will take Corona for himself. But his greed will bring sickness that will plague his family and kingdom, I have made sure of that. And in the fall of the two Kingdoms, I will take my rightful place upon the throne. I will rid the two kingdoms of those who do not wish to follow under my rule.” Her eyes are wild, a wicked smile on her lips as she plots the death of millions of people.

“I don’t care if I need to kill everyone to do it. There will be nothing left of the royal families. Those that don’t die of sickness will burn in the endless fires of my rage. And in the days of my rule, you will be by my side. Kill the girl, bring me her head, and you will forever have a place by my side in our new kingdom. No one would dare attempt to overthrow us. We will be the two most powerful people in the world.” The idea appeals to Rumlwo, he must admit. Power is something he’s always been hungry for. And a chance to see the entire Barnes family crash and burn? Well, He’d pay to see that.

“You’ve got a deal.” The woman sighs, smiling happily at him. “She made for Corona. Do not rest until she is dead. Do you understand?” He nods, standing up and heading towards his horse. “I don’t need to remind you what will happen if you fail me, do I? I hate to be disappointed.” Rumlow shakes his head while mounting his horse.

“I’ll bring you her head. And I’ll enjoy it, too.” He takes off, leaving the woman by herself in the small clearing.

“For far too long have I suffered in silence,” she whispers, glaring into the night sky.

“I’ll stand for it no longer. Far too long have I been denied what is rightfully mine. And now they will pay. They will pay with their lives for what they’ve done to me.” It’s not a simple threat she’s uttering in anger. It’s a promise. A promise she’s making to the gods.

~*~

[bledmagic]

**the following is no way indicative of direct rp interactions & is solely referring to the personal canon to idrylla. if your muse wants to refer to the closeness of one of the companions listed here by all means, unless you are holding another rper muse in mind as that connection is different & not based upon these by the interactions idrylla & that muse has had. however if you would like to base interactions on these descriptions with your muse def lemme kno & we can plot on this further !

idrylla is not the only focus of the story, they are one of many that line the cast of our main tale & the interactions between idrylla & these characters drive the story forward or back. as the game still rests within the area of early access & there are hints from datamining of future companions this list is not complete nor is it going to contain anything proper beyond act 1 in terms of connections. with the previous statement said, here is each of our companions & the relationships held with idrylla as per the canon to their character & me. **i will note if i have romanced a npc like this, as the game is in early access n just like in who’s line is it anyway the choices n points dont matter there is no canon romance for idrylla at this moment in time. 

LAE’ZEL: idrylla has very few memories of the nautilus. their capture, their containment, & the escape itself is somewhat of a blurry mess. what they do remember is lae’zel. they remember her face, her struggling, her escaping that pod. they saw the moment the mind flayer infected lae’zel & the fear held within the githyanki’s features. all of this is unspoken between the two, but for idrylla it’s spurned a lot of emotions that have boiled down to pushing idrylla to get close to lae’zel & be quite defensive of her with strangers( shadowheart can make a few insults as a treat, lae’zel in return can make some serious threats in return as a treat ). it is with the first weeks of travel idrylla can be found hanging out along side lae’zel like a safety net, finding the familiarity of their escape as a bridge to base a friendship upon. despite that link that idrylla has tied between them they find lae’zel absolutely delightful in every way possible & considers lae’zel probably the closest friend idrylla has had in years, the honesty lae’zel shows in the most blunt way a refreshing change from the passive aggressiveness of the wizards guild peers. beyond all this, lae’zel is also the first githyanki has ever known & has prodded the poor warrior with a multitude of questions to absorb the info like a weird elf sponge, even going out of their way to learn on their own & ask lae’zel about later on. idrylla holds lae’zel’s opinon in high regard & often will ask her or look to her for her advice & even if not followed takes it in consideration. anyways they are best friends. ( lae’zel: we are not ‘friends’ / idrylla: you’re right. we are best friends, pal. / lae’zel: tch. ) **lae’zel has been romanced 

SHADOWHEART: while idrylla did try to save shadowheart from her pod, idrylla also has particularly failed at every turn to get shadowheart to even attempt to trust them. traditionally anyway. since the common ground of the parasite & needing to team up & trust each other has failed to get shadowheart to loosen up, idrylla has taken the approach to just be a utter nuisance to shadowheart. often chiding the other with jokes or teases, stirring up trouble between shadowheart & lae’zel, forcing shadowheart to go talk to people at parties( notable example is when idryl forced shadowheart to dance with them at the big fun tiefling celebration party in which shadowheart was so emabrassed she probs would have died on the spot if she wasnt actually having fun the whole time ), etc etc. shadowheart stresses idrylla out, so tightly wounded & clearly bothered by something that is clearly at times more dire than the worm in their brain. it activates idrylla’s older sibling mode near instantly as often the fussing of the other reminds idrylla very warmly of their younger siblings, one being very similar to the uptight cleric. when shadowheart does breakdown some of those walls & reveals her religious beliefs idrylla presents themselves as very accepting. while agnostic themselves, they do make a point to show they hold no ill will to shadowheart & support them, but more importantly wants shadowheart to learn to rely on them from then on to be more honest about anything. it’s after this shadowheart tends to be less antagonistic toward idrylla. but only a little less.

WYLL: idrylla noted early on that the “”””stone”””” that rests in his socket has a heartshaped looking pupil & annoyingly( to everyone except wyll himself ) calls him hearteye. as a baldurian they are very well versed in knowing the various tales & stories of the blade of frontiers. wyll is idrylla’s favorite drinking companion & the two get along like a pair of bros in a budding bromance that will make the fans go crazy. wyll holds a hard sense of justice that idrylla tends to think of a buzzkill at times, but does value the pull of morality his chiding holds considering her own moral standing at current is fuzzy at best. she does truly worry about how skiddish he tends to be about his guarded secrets & once learning upon the truth they promise to aid them in his quest to save his ‘totally not devil girlfriend’ & when wyll protests about such a title idryl simply responses ‘oh no i totally get it, hearteye.’ with a laugh & wink. idrylla also has wyll teach them the use of the blade, taking those teachings & applying them to their learnings of the staff as a weapon vs a channel for magic. often one can see them sparing in camp on down time. wyll is also the only one of the companions who gave idrylla a proper condolence when idrylla’s less than tragic backstory is revealed to the the companions, to which idrylla who was properly touched thanked him with a hand to their heart & a ‘aww, thanks man. you’re a real one.’

ASTARION: idrylla is far softer on astarion than they should be & they will deny it. usually such a judgement of letting astarion getting away with ( in most cases, literally ) murder is preceded by a loud groan or sigh. it’s not that idrylla wants to dull astarion’s sparkle, but more of a general worry. the more idrylla learns of him, the more & more they just feel bad( astarion: i rather be spared of pity, thanks / idryl: it’s not pity. i don’t pity you its just. well hearing that shit that happened to you ? makes me sick, man. horrible things to go through. makes me want to hit something. ). but the primary worry is what will happened to their newfound friend once the parasite is extracted, will astarion burn up in the sun ? prevented from hanging out with them at bars ? will they not be able to find something for him to eat on the journey they set on ? idrylla has no real way to comfort astarion in the face of his past & it makes them uncomfortable. all that can be offered is a arm about his shoulder & a ear to listen.  beyond all this, however, the two get along disturbingly well. idrylla’s current fuzzy moral standing & general pull to do really stupid things setting a stage for the two of them to act in their own chaotic fashion. the two make comments with each other that would make people wonder if they share a braincell. idrylla often pulls lae’zel into their shenanigans much to her dismay. the fact that astarion is a vampire spawn has absolutely zero negative effect or reaction from idrylla. **astarion has been romanced

GALE: i hate these two. considering gale being a wizard busybody i have to do the most divergent shit with this mf. love this catdad, anyways here go. gale & idrylla absolutely know of each other prior to the events of the game & have a loving rivalry friendship thing going on. they have met a few times due to the wizarding guild( take in mind, this wizard guild is something im developing for idrylla & is not canonical to the game ) of which gale would visit, but is not apart of, due to his associations. the two never had a proper moment of conversation prior but are as i said, very aware of each other at least in terms of their talents in magic. so whilst there is a pre-established link between them they are without a doubt strangers. their rivalry comes out at any time magic is spoken about or knowledge thereof. a interesting change in demeanor for idrylla who, for all intents & purposes before & during the events, tended to not have a proper ambitious or know-it-all bone in their body. the two will often agree about magic or purposely disagree. they speak of other wizards & generally are capable of working together to figure out spells or something magical in puzzles. when gale says that idrylla knows nothing about the weave, it took everything in idrylla to not set him on fire. when faced with the truth about gale’s utterly stupid need to consume magic & the reason behind it, idrylla simply just starts smacking him on the arm & calling him an idiot( considering idrylla’s recent expulsion from the wizarding guild spurred on by peers that are  power hungry & would do whatever they could to get ahead, the ordeal of gale sits very heavy on idrylla. while they does apologize later & explains the why. ). over time the two have gotten less antagonistic to each other & more or less bicker for the fun of it, showing that the two have found themselves more or less comfortable with each other & in their aventures found respect in each other’s talents. so far anyway. idrylla has threatened to steal gale’s cat( in jest to make gale wig out. )

[almostafantasia]

Three’s a Crowd

What do you mean it isn’t Day 3 of Clexa Week anymore? Have this fic anyway - a twist on the ‘only one bed’ trope that actually involves zero beds!

Summary:  Clarke and Lexa, who are in the early stages of a secret relationship, go on a group camping trip and manage to end up sharing a tent. Unfortunately for them and their budding relationship, when there’s a fault with one of the other tents, they end up with an entirely unsuspecting third wheel lying between them.

Clexa Week 2019 - Day 3: ‘Only One Bed’

Read on AO3.

A tent should not be this hard to put together.

Before this camping trip, Lexa had been so certain that setting up a tent would be a skill embedded into her lesbian DNA, like building a set of shelves, or always being able to unscrew the lid on a jar.

Lexa couldn’t have been more wrong.

She lets out a frustrated huff as the tent pole she’s spent the better part of five minutes trying to wrangle into the right place springs free once more, causing the entire roof of the tiny blue tent to collapse until it resembles nothing more than a misshapen pile of canvas on the ground. Lexa is just about ready to donate the entire thing to the kindling for the campfire flickering in the centre of their little circle of half-constructed tents and sheepishly ask Bellamy if she can spend the night sleeping on the back seat of his truck instead.

“Need a hand?”

Lexa glances up only momentarily at Clarke, who wanders over from the campfire she helped Lincoln to ignite, before she wraps her hand resolutely around the offending pole and tries to force it once against into the right position.

“I’ve got this,” Lexa tells Clarke, though even as she says the words, the pole springs out of her grasp again.

“Of course you do.”

Lexa drags her eyes back up to Clarke, who seems to be finding extraordinary amusement in watching Lexa struggle with a tent, and glowers at her.

“I know you think you’re being scary and intimidating when you glare at me like that,” says Clarke, dropping down into a squatting position next to Lexa so that she can reach out and cup Lexa’s jaw, “but you’re just too pretty for it to work.”

Lexa continues to glare for a few moments, until Clarke’s thumb brushes tenderly across her cheek, and she softens under the touch and Clarke’s compliment. She turns her head ever so slightly, making to press her lips against Clarke’s hand, before she remembers that they’re in the middle of a very open campsite with most of their close friends lurking nearby, pulling her head away from Clarke’s hand at the last minute.

Lexa watches the disappointment flash across Clarke’s face, and has to look away in shame.

“Would it really be so bad if anybody saw?”

Lexa considers Clarke’s question carefully. They’ve discussed this a few times over the last few weeks, first deciding that they would keep it to themselves as they navigated the first few dates, not wanting to disrupt the wider friendship circle in which they both belong, in case things didn’t work out. More recently, it has been a case of waiting for the right moment to tell their friends that they’re dating. Lexa knows that they’re both ready to go public, but she wants to tell her friends, not let them find out by accidentally noticing them kissing in the middle of a campsite.

“Well, no,” admits Lexa. “But we agreed we’d wait until Octavia and Anya join us tomorrow and tell them all together.”

“I know,” concedes Clarke, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “Though I’m pretty sure they already know.”

“They do?”

“I mean, they invited us on a couples’ camping trip.”

“It’s not a coup-”

Lexa trails off as her eyes fall upon Bellamy and Echo, setting up their own two-person tent a few yards away, then turns her head to watch Raven pitching the tent she’ll be sharing with Anya from tomorrow. When Anya and Octavia arrive after their soccer game tomorrow morning, they will indeed be a party made up of four couples, even if Clarke and Lexa’s budding relationship hasn’t been officially made public to their friends yet.

“Shit,” mutters Lexa. “I guess it is a couples’ trip.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you with the tent?” asks Clarke, gesturing to the abandoned pile of canvas and poles. “Because if we’ve got nothing to sleep in, I’m definitely snuggling up to Lincoln. Octavia says he’s like a space heater at night.”

Lexa feels a little beast of jealousy stir in her chest at the thought of Clarke cuddling with somebody else, despite knowing that Clarke and Lincoln will never be anything more than good friends.

“Fine,” concedes Lexa, beckoning Clarke closer. “I don’t know how you’re supposed to put one of these together on your own.”

With four hands, the tent gets set up in no time. Lexa wants to pout and whine about her defeat at the hands of an inanimate object, but she finds it hard to be in a sour mood with Clarke by her side.

As night starts to fall, their little group all congregates around the fire lit by Lincoln and Clarke earlier on. As Bellamy and Echo put themselves in charge of cooking dinner, Lexa sets up two camping chairs, relieved that it takes about five seconds to unfold them, rather than needing to ask for a second pair of hands to help. She takes a seat in one and is happy when Clarke drops into the second, draping a blanket across both their laps, allowing Lexa to fumble for Clarke’s hand and knot their fingers together out sight of their friends.

The disappearance of the sun behind the copse of trees on the edge of the campsite brings with it a cold night chill, as the sky that was so beautifully clear and sunny during the day provides no cloud cover to ward off the cold. When not even the dying flames of the campfire and the thick blankets they’re all wrapped up under are enough to keep them warm, the group very quickly bids each other goodnight and disperses into their separate tents.

“I hope you don’t mind me cuddling you for warmth,” says Lexa, bundled up in thick fleece pants and a hoodie, though a traitorous shiver forces her to climb beneath the pair of sleeping bags that she and Clarke have unzipped and laid out as blankets.

“Please, I was counting on it,” grins Clarke, as she takes a seat on the tent floor and wriggles her way under the covers.

Clarke takes the extra blanket that they used to keep them warm outside and drapes it over their bodies too, then shuffles closer to Lexa. One of her arms finds its way around Lexa’s back, pulling their bodies flush against each other.

“In fact,” whispers Clarke, their faces inches apart, “I can think of other ways to stay warm.”

Clarke’s hand dips lower, beneath the fabric of Lexa’s pants, and Lexa lets out a little yelp of surprise as Clarke’s cold hand comes into contact with the warm skin of her ass, palming the flesh suggestively.

“I’m not having sex with you in a tent,” hisses Lexa, shaking her head resolutely. “The walls are so thin that they’re made of canvas! The others will hear us.”

“Only because you can’t be quiet,” teases Clarke.

Clarke leans in for a kiss, which Lexa gladly accepts, and she lets herself get lost in the push and pull of Clarke’s lips for a few glorious seconds. Until Clarke’s other hand, the one not shamelessly groping Lexa’s butt, dips between Lexa’s legs and applies a certain pressure through the material of her pyjama pants.

Their lips break apart as Lexa’s lets out a gasp, and she indulges in Clarke’s touch for only a fraction of a second, before remembering where they are. Her fingers quickly wrap around Clarke’s wrist and drag her girlfriend’s hand away.

“Not here,” Lexa insists.

Clarke grumbles incoherently but keeps her hand away, withdrawing the other from the back of Lexa’s pants. Lexa presses her lips to Clarke’s again, drawing her into another kiss as an apology. Clarke kisses her back gently, her hand finding a much more chaste position on the back of Lexa’s head, with her fingers tangling into Lexa’s long hair. Her fingertips caress Lexa’s scalp, and Lexa can’t help but moan softly into Clarke’s waiting mouth.

“Shhh,” Clarke giggles against Lexa’s lips. “I thought you didn’t want anybody to hear us.”

“It’s not my fault,” whines Lexa, burying her face in Clarke’s neck. “It’s not like I want to make those sounds. You’re just too good at…”

A sharp crack of a twig snapping outside their tent cuts Lexa off mid-sentence. She lifts her head, peering at Clarke through the darkness to silently ask if she hears the noise too, but before she has time to say anything, the zip of their tent is drawn open with a rasp that penetrates the otherwise silent night.

Within half a second, Clarke has shot across the small tent, putting a foot between their previous entwines bodies, just in time for a familiar head to peer through the new opening to the outdoors.

“The zip on my tent is broken,” says Raven, apparently oblivious to the moment she’s just interrupted between the two girls. The rest of Raven’s body follows her head into the tent, and she turns to zip it back up behind her as she continues, “It’s freezing in there. I hope you don’t mind me joining you.”

Lexa opens her mouth to protest that actually, yes she does mind Raven showing up unannounced and interrupting her cuddles with Clarke, then closes it again as Raven throws her sleeping bag into the newly made gap between Clarke and Lexa before settling herself down there too.

“Can’t you share with Lincoln?” asks Clarke.

“Are you kidding?” snorts Raven. “And have to explain to Octavia when she arrives, that I spent the night spooning her boyfriend?”

Lexa glances at Clarke over Raven’s head and they share a glance, before quickly looking away before she betrays how she really feels about Raven sharing their tent for the night.

“But this is only a two-person tent,” Clarke tries to protest. “There won’t be room for three of us.”

“We can be close,” Raven dismisses Clarke’s complaint. “And it’ll help us stay warm. Lexa will be my little spoon, won’t you Lexa?”

Lexa glances at Clarke again, seeking out her permission. Clarke’s expression is displeased, but after a few long moments of consideration, Clarke shrugs and settles back down amongst the warm pile of sleeping bags and blankets.

“Of course,” Lexa tells Raven, rolling over so that her back is facing Raven. “But no funny business, okay.”

“Funny business from me?” replies Raven, as she settles under the covers and presses herself to Lexa’s back to share body heat. “It’s you two I need to watch out for. I’m the only one in this tent with a girlfriend!”

Somewhere behind her, Lexa hears Clarke snort. Raven doesn’t seem to notice the noise.

“Well, goodnight,” says Raven, her warm breath hitting the back of Lexa’s neck. “Sleep tight.”

It’s a long night.

At some point in the night, an arm finds its way across Lexa’s body. Lexa decides that it must belong to Raven at first, until she realises that Raven is snoring contentedly between her and Clarke. The fingers of the hand find Lexa’s and knit together, and Lexa knows that they belong to Clarke, her arm draped across Raven between them under the pretence of cuddling for warmth, so that a small part of her can still be close to Lexa despite the circumstances.

Lexa wakes with the sunlight. Raven’s body is still pressed into her own, with Clarke’s arm draped lossely across both of them. Lexa extracts herself carefully and wraps a blanket around her shoulder, then unzips the tent flap and steps outside, before closing the tent behind her.

Outside, the morning air is brisk and sends a fresh shiver through Lexa’s body, but the sky is light and bears a promise of a glorious day. With the blanket still draped across her shoulders, Lexa gets to work lighting the campfire again, carefully placing the pieces of firewood and igniting the kindling below. It takes several minutes for the flame to start flickering in earnest, but Lexa’s pride at the accomplishment following her failure with the tent yesterday, burns as strong within her chest as the fire in front of her.

“How long have you been awake?”

Lexa’s head snaps up when she hears Clarke’s voice behind her, and she smiles fondly as she sees Clarke’s sleep-tousled head emerge from the tent.

“Not long,” Lexa answers truthfully.

“I’m sorry about Raven,” says Clarke, traipsing over to Lexa and adjusting the blanket so that it covers both of their shoulders. Her arms winds its way around Lexa’s waist and Clarke presses her body into Lexa’s side as she continues, “I wanted it to be just the two of us.”

“I know you did,” laughs Lexa, recalling Clarke’s wandering hands just moments before Raven interrupted them. “But hopefully it was just one night. Anya gets here today - let’s hope she brings a spare tent.”

“I hope so too,” agrees Clarke. “I want you all to myself.”

Lexa wraps the blanket around them fully, trapping them both inside its soft warmth, and dips her head just enough to be able to press a kiss to Clarke’s lips. Clarke hums appreciatively and kisses Lexa back, bringing one hand out of their blanket cocoon to cup Lexa’s cheek.

“What the actual fuck?”

They break apart suddenly, each jumping backward so that the blanket falls to the grassy floor and there are several feet between them. Behind them, Raven’s tousled sticks out through the opening to the tent, mouth hanging open and eyes wide with incredulity.

“You two…?” starts Raven, still gaping between them. “You’re…? Since when?”

Lexa’s mouth is too dry for her to be able to answer, but thankfully Clarke steps in and says, “A few weeks. It’s still quite new.”

Raven continues to stare, then says dumbfoundedly, “You and Lexa?” Her faze flicks across to Lexa, and she adds, “You and Clarke?”

“It’s not that hard to understand,” shrugs Clarke, closing the gap between herself and Lexa again and taking Lexa’s hand in her own. “We really like each other.”

“Hang on,” says Raven, her face contorting into a thoughtful frown. “I’ve just spent the night sleeping between you.”

“Oh,” Lexa laughs and shakes her head in disbelief at the same time, “we’re very aware of that.”

A grimace crosses Raven’s face and a shudder wracks her body.

“Ugh, that’s so embarrassing.”

A phone goes off inside the tent and Raven disappears for a few second, before emerging once more with the ringing phone in her hand.

“It’s Anya,” she explains to Clarke and Lexa, as she lifts the phone to her ear. “Hey, babe! You’ll never guess who I just caught kissing.” Raven pauses expectantly, then a look of surprise flashes across her face. “How did you know it was Clarke and Lexa? What do you mean you figured it out a couple of weeks ago? And you didn’t think to tell me? I just spent the night sharing a tent with them and I had no idea!”

Lexa laughs softly under her breath as Raven continues to talk exasperatedly at Anya over the phone, and pulls Clarke in for the embrace that got so rudely interrupted moments earlier.

“I guess they all know,” she says to Clarke, as Clarke relaxes into her arms and rests her head on Lexa’s shoulder. “We’ve gone public.”

“We’ve gone public,” Lexa repeats back, a slow smile spreading across her face.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” asks Clarke, lifting her head so that she can look Lexa in the eye.

Lexa glances across at Raven, who is still talking rapidly into her phone.

“They spooned me, Anya! I was lying between them and they spooned me.”

Lexa sniggers to herself, and then says, “Not for us, at least. I think we might have traumatised Raven though!”

[notlostonanadventure]

AS3 CAST: Announcement and Analysis

Details and Warnings: How I Got My Info

Very recently, the first challenge of the season was filmed and casual fans in attendance have been spilling the beans on Reddit. In my experience, Reddit has predicted the casts with an 85-90 percent accuracy (they missed Laila in season 8, nasty habit of adding too many queens to the roster) but All-Stars reports are universally 100 percent.

However, someone at World of Wonder is getting smart- while nine queens have been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt, mixed reports are coming in of two possible queens we haven’t expected.

For the main nine, I’ll review them and rank their chances below. After them are the debated ones, so read with caution. One of them would be a giant twist to the format that could be the selling spoiler of the season. Alternatively, big pack of lies.

Enjoy!

Confirmed queens

Morgan McMichaels (Season 2)

Drag daughter of All-Star Chad Michaels and Los Angeles drag staple, Morgan has an uphill battle. Her first run was okay at best: one challenge win, one great lipsynch, and the first Snatch Game loser. She stands to benefit from a Tatianna-like renaissance.

Assets: Morgan is a drag vet and a solid lipsynch performer. Known shit-stirrer responsible for instigating “BITCH I AM FROM CHICAGO.”

Negatives: Morgan doesn’t do tricks and isn’t a versatile queen. Can’t sing, can’t act, doesn’t do funny.

Odds of winning: LOW. She’s bound to make drama happen (she is a season 2 girl) but don’t expect more than that.

Shangela (Seasons 2, 3, multiple cameos)

Arguably the most recurring queen of Drag Race, Shangela is a professional and she’s only blossomed since stirring shit on Seasons 2 and 3.

Assets: The show’s first comedian, a killer dancer, and the years have only matured her style and wardrobe.

Negatives: Shangela’s foremost strength could now be her weakness- her comedy hasn’t changed much since season 3 and she’s rested a lot on her moves and chemistry with the Haus of Edwards.

Odds of winning: HIGH. She’s the most versatile queen here, has the most experience and post-show growth. Bitches better beware.

Ben DelaCreme (Season Six)

Seattle’s resident Miss Congeniality, Ben DelaCreme has been keeping to her corner of the west after just missing the top four. Not that she’s been lazy- she’s worked with Peaches Christ, sister Jinkx Monsoon, and has been killing the one woman show circuit. 

Assets: Dela’s wit is still as sharp as ever, there’s no denying she’ll be a comedy queen to watch.

Negatives: Her fashion sense, though unique, hasn’t really evolved. Further, she’s competing against way more unique and devastating comedians than her first go-round.

Odds of winning: MID. Time will tell if she can still keep up with the edgier and less camp competition.

Milk (Season Six)

From fuckable genderfuck icon to literal Marc Jacobs model, Milk has been on a hell of a journey. Her style is beyond cosmic and judging by her WOW videos, she’s learned a thing or two about being funny.

Assets: FASHION. She is going to be the runway queen of the season. No arguments.

Negatives: Her comedy has improved. but is it enough though in this crowd of comics? Also, time will tell if the judges get her performance art.

Odds of winning: MID. Her wardrobe will keep her afloat, but she’ll need way more than that to win.

Trixie Mattel (Season 7)

Do I even need a description? Drag country superstar, viral sensation, with the darkest sense of humor this franchise has known. She’s Trixie fucking Mattel.

Assets: Killer wit, huge style evolution, fantastic singing voice.

Negatives: TV ain’t the internet- the network may clash with her NSFW banter. Further, a certain judge may push her to change her signature look, Ru knows how that will go.

Odds of Winning: HIGH. Face it, she’s going in as the Alaska of the season. Living up to it? Not impossible, but difficult.

Kennedy Davenport (Season 7)

The dancing diva is back! After rehabbing her less than stellar image with the fans, Kennedy Davenport is ready to take the spotlight that was denied to her by Pearl, of all people.

Assets: A stellar dancer, a solid comedian, and the poise of a pageant queen have always made Kennedy a contender.

Negatives: If there’s a public speaking challenge, she’s fucked.

Odds of winning: MID-HIGH. Ru won’t have to play fan favorites this time, so Kennedy’s versatility could get her far. However, she risks being outshined by younger and brighter contestants.

Thorgy Thor (Season 8)

The “could-have-been” of Season Eight, Thorgy just missed several wins snatched by Bob the Drag Queen and the Miss Congeniality sash. With both out of the way, Thorgy may let her frenetic humor truly shine.

Assets: Comedy, comedy, comedy. Thorgy is delightful and just plain fun.

Negatives: She’s far from the only comedy queen here, and her wardrobe is going to have to step up to compare with these girls.

Odds of winning: MID. You’ll need to be more than funny to win this girl.

Chi Chi Devayne (Season 8)

Another solid dancer, Chi Chi was held back by her insecurities and tight budget. Since then, she’s gained a loyal following and an upgraded bank account that could shake up the show.

Assets: A stunning dancer and a stronger sense of style make her quite the queen to beat. The enhanced confidence won’t hurt her either.

Negatives: Chi Chi’s comedy doesn’t compare to her competition, and lipsynch assassin she may be, Ru does not let queens bottom their way to the top here.

Odds of winning: LOW-MID. Pending a comedic revolution to match her wardrobe, it’s hard to see her getting to the top 3.

Aja

The meme queen of Season 9, Aja came on with high expectations and kind of…well, floundered. Now she’s going on (as a rumored last minute alternate for Valentina) with zero expectations but a ton of face work and newfound confidence.

Assets: Aja is fresh out of the race and has been taking lessons in performance art from Sasha Velour. Also, she knows how to paint for HD cameras now!

Negatives: Aja is fresh out of the race and hasn’t shown us much to offer since.

Odds of winning: LOW. She could surprise us, but she doesn’t have the balance or versatility of her competitors.

Unconfirmed/Debated Queens

SUPER DUPER SPOILERS AHEAD

There are two queens that have been suggested but do not have a majority confirmation. I won’t get into as much detail because these aren’t 100 percent, but I’ll give a small rundown just in case

Darienne Lake

Not a likely addition, but reports exist. Again, suffers from Thorgy Syndrome- sure she’s funny but her wardrobe has never quite been up to par with the show’s expectations.

BIGGEST SPOILER OF ALL

I’M WARNING YOU

OKAY

Bebe Zahara Benet

The ORIGINAL Drag Superstar, there are disputed accounts that she’s back in the game. Bebe thrived in her season due to her poise, ferocity, class, and composure. The game has massively changed since her victory though…