#SL starter

[boombambaby]

[ Closed starter for; @mostpeculiarmademoiselleetmsieur ]

That's only like a week and a half late eh heh.

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A loud, sudden CRACK shatters the quiet serenity of the library as the doors are unceremoniously kicked open, the ornate gold trim making them heavier and thus causing all the more damage as they bounce off of the walls.

"--But sire, please! You have to listen! It's--"

Kuzco raises a hand to silence him, stopping just inside the threshold and sweeping his gaze across the length of the room. It appears for all intents and purposes as silent and undisturbed as it had been before his grand 'entrance', and he narrows his eyes as he tries to figure out where the old man could be hiding out. "Not NOW, Kombucha-- I just need to talk to someone about the scrolls!" "It's Kommara, si--" "HELLLLOOOOO, Emperor Kuzco here! Looking for the lazy Imperial Scribe who's suppose to be working here!" His hands find purchase on his hips, covering up how flustered he currently is with annoyance.

[saulweissberg]

availability / @edwardsthalia setting / lakeside banquet hall, cantwell country club. timeline / sunday, september 29th, 2024 at 1:29 pm.

so far, so good. there had been a few hiccups here and there, but the first hour of the luncheon had been running smoothly. the food was to be served in half an hour, guests were still streaming steadily in, and saul had the distinct honor of making sure everyone was having a good time. he flitted through the burgeoning party, greeting familiar faces and complete strangers, when he was nearly struck dead by the next guest that he laid his eyes on. guests. thalia edwards and leon wozniak. the most familiar face of them all: his third ex-wife… on the arm of his… friend. boyfriend was too familiar of a term for his relationship with leon, but what else was he supposed to call the man that he had been sleeping with all summer? leon and thalia certainly looked familiar to each other, and if his heart didn’t ache just a little from seeing leon with another woman, or to see thalia with another man, it was the fact that they knew each other at all. and that saul didn’t know that they knew each other.

saul got distracted by other guests walking around the party, shaking hands or discussing the benefit’s goals for fundraising, which was a task aided by a nice cocktail. there were many on the menu at the banquet hall’s bar, but nothing would hit the spot better than a french 75. the first of many that morning, saul had been waiting in line to order when he saw thalia—alone—walking by. he exited the line without another thought and jogged a few steps to catch up with her. “hey, thalia!” saul called her name, raising a hand to place on her shoulder before he thought better of it. “how are you? are you enjoying the luncheon so far?” the pleasantries were hurried and flat, but thalia never appreciated delicacy anyway. “i saw you with leon.” best to get his curiosity out of the way. “i’m not being some shitty macho me-tarzan-you-jane kind of guy or anything, i just didn’t realize that you knew each other.”

[honeybuckin]

“ my   ex's   a   bi/tch   …   you're   a   bit/ch,   and   y'all   like   twin   sisters. ”

[smartylina]

[Starter for @mostpeculiarmademoiselleetmsieur]

"I never knew Kuzco had a female Scribe working for him." Malina says out of nowhere as soon as she sets foot into the archives and sees the unfamiliar young woman. She approaches to her desk while carrying a few scrolls in her arms.

She's not allowed to come into this place, since she is still a mere peasant but, shh... no one needs to know.

[waveswallowed]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 ༄࿔*·⋅ @tideslord. loosely inspired by this.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ THE FIRE BURNED LOW in the grate at the late hour, the flickering flames providing just enough light still to illuminate the faded pages of the old book laying open on luke's lap, not a history of his ancestors taken from the tall shelves of the library of high tide this time, but a volume detailing ancient superstitions and customs amongst seafarers he'd found at the far back of one of the shelves, coated thick with years worth of dust and debris, clearly not having been touched in a long while . . . it proved more interesting than it had seemed at first, and he nigh did not notice his grandsire's approach until the older man sat down on the sea green settee at his side, the faint dip of the cushions beneath him, at last, drawing the gaze of umber eyes away from the yellowed parchment and towards corlys. “ they say the sea either loves you enough to keep you or chews you up and spits out what little remains of you. ” he begins, quietly, glancing back to the brittle book balanced upon his knee, “ i did not die a velaryon's death, though i could have . . . did the sea not want me? ” though it is not voiced, the underlying question hovers between them — because i am not velaryon?

[cocained]

open  to:  f/m/nb suggested  plot:  they're on bad terms, whether it's enemies to lovers, exes, etc!

"i  never  even  called  you  that."  a  brief  moment  of  hesitation  followed,  realizing  how  easy  it  was  for  an  insult  like  that  to  slip from  his  lips.  "—  well,  maybe  i  did.  but  not  in  a  bad  way."

[zainc]

˙ ｡ 𖦹 ˚ ₊ ZAINA CHOI en parís.

@vincereedit

[thevoiceofnv]

@dr-carlosrobles—

Cecil holds the black rag against his hand, letting it absorb his blood until it clots.

The rag would be stained, if it weren’t black— and it’s black because Cecil has done this many times, and will do it many times more, and he knows that he may as well choose a fabric that won’t leave such obvious marks behind. He can be sort of classy like that.

His blood is dribbled all over his bloodstone circle, frosting the stones and pooled in their center, a layer held in by the energy of the circle.

It’s too bad he’s one of the Night Vale citizens who can feel pain— but, at least he’s had to make offerings to the bloodstone circle so many times in his life that he knows exactly how much to focus on his hand to clot the blood and stitch the wound back over, pulling the skin into one unit again. It still hurts, but at least he doesn’t have to keep bleeding all over the place.

He’s been acutely aware of his ability to feel pain, lately. Near-constant nausea, and headaches, and superlunary vomiting, and flesh hazing, and the aching need to chew on things, and just being so exhausted! It’s all typical pregnancy stuff, sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s not tired of it! And Esteban is going to notice soon, if he hasn't already...

The bloodstones shine, the muted glow taking on the color of his blood, cast between a deep violet and a rich red, coming out wine-dark and strange. The circles reflect in his pupils, rimming the crescent moons.

Closing his eyes and letting the third one open, he blinks to the bloodstone circle and begins his prayer.

He’s so used to praying by now, he can almost do it on autopilot. His voice is an intonation, a hum, sonorous and deep and vibrating. He speaks in the tongue of the bloodstones, asks his questions, gets some answers— receives some additional questions of his own.

The bloodstones are losing their shine, the prayer and exchanging of information (practically descending into gossip, by the end, but then— Cecil does love gossip, and so do the bloodstones) coming to a close, when Cecil feels Carlos’s presence close by. A smile flickers onto his face; this, too, is automatic.

He lets his awareness spread to engulf Carlos, encompassing him, enveloping in a soft, warm greeting in his direction. Excitement is buzzing in him; he’s just learned so much! Carlos will be so excited!

[warsinmyhead]

OPEN

Now Seb was never a big fan of the gym or bulking up like some of the guys at university. He passed gym when he was in college prep, but it wasn't his favorite subject when it was a mandatory course with a grade associated with it.

In the midst of his classes and coursework, Seb managed to find a bit of time to squeeze in some time to exercise. Knowing his doctor back home, it was better to do something than nothing.

The young man decided that he was going to try one of the rowing machines out - something that seemed doable for a non-gym person like him. His earbuds were in and he took a deep breath before taking a seat, sliding his feet into the stirrups, and grabbing the handlebar.

His earbuds were playing a podcast he discovered a couple of weeks ago and the host was starting to change topics halfway through the segment. Seb was so engrossed in the podcast and trying to keep a steady pace with rowing that he jolted when someone put their hand on his shoulder.

A hand dropped the handlebar and he fumbled to remove an earbud so he could hear the other person who was touching his shoulder.

"Er, are you waiting for this machine? I thought there were 5 in this gym."

[traffic-series-after-life]

yeah i just wanna get a rundown on what your personalities seem to be though if its alright i would like to do an initial guess before you start talking

Mumbo: i think ive made two crafting tables

Jimmy: i made one too

Mumbo: gah! We such idiots

[notthatgirlfrcmculiacan]

"i promise, i’m gonna do everything in my power to protect you." - Oksana

@cksanavclkcva

Teresa can feel the bile rising in her throat, nausea despite having not eaten in hours taking hold as she comes back too. Her shoulders ache, her wrists are sore. They only become more so as she heaves forward against the restraints, expelling the bile onto the ground before her. She whimpers at the overwhelming feelings coursing through her - fear, anger, trepidation. She can remember all too clearly the cocky question of if her growing belly held a little girl, knowing all too well what the Russian man's intentions would be if so. She wants to wrap herself up, protect that growing life. But she cannot, her hands restrained above her head. Just one more day, one more day and she'd have been free. Oksana would own the corridor. Teresa would be on her way to Belize. Too bad she'd been caught doing something entirely too civilian, shopping with Kelly Anne for baby things.

It takes a moment for her to realize she is no longer alone. That someone other than the Russian's guards has joined her. The sound of her Russian friend and partner draws her gaze upwards. "Oksana..." her voice feels scratchy, her throat aches from screaming. "He's going to kill you." But she can't not warn her friend.

[boombambaby]

Goooood Kuzcorific morning, Kuzcoteers!

I don’t know about you, but I am WAY overdue for some prime Kuzco-worship time!

Yep!

A manicure, a nice soothing skin toning session, floating in my private indoor lake with some music playing in the background— you know. Some serious R&R.

Sooo that’s the goal for today, Kuzconians! Feel free to jump in, and join in on your own version of ‘Kuzco’s the best!’ worship at your own leisure. Nooo talky or bother-y me though, kay?

If you need me? At all, for anything?

. . . Don’t!

[boombambaby]

“Weird clothes? These are Royal robes, pal— EMPEROR robes.”

Sniffs, slender arms folding across his chest. He isn’t actually offended, it’ll take a lot more than that.

“— you’re, what. A talking dog?. . . Think I’ll get my fashion advice from someone else, thanks.”

@boombambaby had follow you

"Say chum what with the weird clothes you wearing?"

[alienssstufff]

*cracking knuckles*

Too busy to do anything refined yet too excited to keep the idea to just my brain fiddling around with the concept - they b animal crossing happy home >u<

I blame the cute SL logo and teeny tiny starter bases for this

[smartylina]

A random starter for @boombambaby

Kuzco, there you are! Flies towards him and perches on his shoulder to nuzzle him on the cheek with her little bird head.

Hey... Do you have... perhaps a cookie? I've been craving for one, or two, or a full pack this morning.

[monsoon-of-art]

Little Writing thing, wanted to write some Hayday, but from the perspective of Xavier, his Ray-Of-Sunshine coworker at a grocery store.

Xavier really wasn’t sure what to make of his new coworker. Sure, Mister Murphy was going on about needing a cashier, and Xavier was a little happy to have another dude to hang with, there was just…something about Lee.

His name was Lee. Or, at least that’s what he liked to be called. Mister Murphy began saying a name starting with a “C”, but Lee was quick to speak over him. Lee was fine.

Lee was…strange. For starters he was tall as anything, and he grimaced when Xavier tried to crack a joke about it. Maybe he had heard that one before. Lee was tall and pale, had green eyes (with very dark circles around them) and dirty-blonde hair about the length of his shoulders.

Tangerine playfully asked if he cut it himself, and Lee - without any hint of sarcasm - nodded.

Xavier was more than happy to train the man, showing him how to clock in, where his locker was, where the cash registers were stored, how to set up his till, all standard practice.

(He swore he saw Lee’s hands twitch when he opened the safe with the registers inside. Maybe he was nervous at handling them, and Xavier wouldn’t blame him one bit.)

Lee had been silent on his first day, save for a nod or a shake of the head. But by the end of the day, he thanked Xavier for the help, and the man had the thickest southern accent he had ever heard.

Xavier tried to crack a lighthearted joke about the accent, earning himself only a sneer. He had probably heard that one too.

Soon enough, Lee settled in well enough.

He was…a little strange. Xavier wasn’t quite sure what to think of him.

He was skittish, jumpy almost. He barely smiled, and when he did, they were hesitant, tight-lipped smirks. Xavier had only heard him laugh once, a downright sinister sounding snicker when Tangerine tried to do a tiktok dance on the table and fell. He was helpful to customers and to the other coworkers, but the moment he was on break, Lee wasn’t going to let anything stop him from taking it. He drank coffee like a fish drank water, and Xavier had never ever seen him bring a lunch, but Lee was happy to ‘take care’ of products that couldn’t be sold.

Xavier thought of his level thirteen Harengon rogue in his current campaign when he thought of Lee. He was definitely jumpy like a rabbit, and he definitely had some rogue-like qualities.

Mister Murphy locked himself out of the office one morning, and Lee quietly offered to pick the lock on the condition he got to leave with a full day’s pay and zero questions.

Mister Murphy had called bullshit, and truthfully, so did Xavier. But Lee pulled something out of his pocket and picked the lock then and there.

And immediately walked out.

Lee was…a mystery. Xavier couldn’t help but think of the mystery campaign he ran two winters ago, where the key to solving it was learning more about the mansion’s mysterious owner. But this wasn’t his campaign, and Lee stubbornly remained closed off.

Xavier had tried; he tried all the jokes he knew, he tried inviting him to places afterwork, he even extended a seat in one of his Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, offering a freshly written half-elf rogue just for Lee.

Lee rejected all of his efforts. He rejected everyone else, too; Joy offering him to join her book club (a thinly veiled ask to make him do work around the house, something that Xavier had fallen for), Tangerine asking him to do tiktoks with her, even Hannah had sheepishly asked him for drinks after work.

“‘m busy.” he’d say sipping from his seventh cup of coffee. (Yes, Xavier had counted.)

“With whaaaat?” Tangerine asked, leaning closer. “What do you even do after work? You’re always in such a hurry to leave.”

“Not important.” Lee continued to deflect, free hand tapping on the table. By now, Xavier knew he did this when he was nervous. “Man’s allowed his privacy.”  

“Right you are!” Xavier cheerfully agreed, giving Lee a good-natured slap on the shoulder. “We only bug you because we’re curious, dude.”

Lee gave him an unimpressed glare over the rim of his coffee cup.

A strange development happened a few weeks later. The newspaper had arrived, with details on a relatively new villain that had begun to stalk the city streets at night. Updates on villains wasn’t anything out of the ordinary…but this new villain gave Xavier the creeps.

This villain had yet to identify themselves, had yet to make a grand, dramatic speech about their goals or wants. For all the city knew, this new villain robbed places blind, and had tried to kill Dragonfly the very first night they appeared.

The papers were calling it ‘the Scarecrow’. Xavier wondered if the thing was even human, he certainly didn’t think so. Gaunt and lanky with patchwork clothes and a wide-brimmed hat, looking like it had walked right out of a horror movie with the scythe it held.

Luckily, the papers weren’t on his checkstand. Xavier honestly didn’t know if he would be able to handle it.

They were on Lee’s checkstand, though, and the poor guy looked shaken up about it. White as a sheet, one hand covering his mouth while the other anxiously tapped on the counter. Sure, Lee was jumpy, but Xavier had never seen him like this before. Not even when he broke a bottle of wine and Mister Murphy called him into the back office to reprimand him.

“Oh, dude, Lee-” Xavier started to say, voice sympathetic. “-I’m sorry you got those on your checkstand. I wouldn’t be able to handle it- That thing gives me the heebie jeebies, man.”

Lee’s eyes darted over to him, wide and frantic. He cracked a nervous smile, half-covered by his hand, “I-It’s just a man in a suit, ain’t it?” he asked, voice cracking. The tapping grew louder and faster. “H-He hasn’t hurt n-nobody…”

Xavier winced, hissing through his teeth. “I dunno man. I heard it like- eats people’s hearts? Or something like that!”

That’s what one article hypothesized, anyway. The author was a little far-fetched, but she was the only one coming up with actual ideas. Her theory was that the scarecrow had been brought to life by some kind of ritual, and now sought precious gemstones for its master, and blood to keep itself satiated.

Lee’s entire demeanor changed. Now, he looked at the man as if Xavier had suddenly started speaking Russian backwards. “...yer not serious.” he said, sounding completely unamused.

“Yeah man! Blood rituals! That’s what I heard. It’s kind of like an encounter in the Curse of Strahd-”

“I need to open my till now.” Lee cut him off firmly, heavily implying he was done with this conversation.

Xavier watched him for the rest of the shift, worried. Lee didn’t smile once that day, and his hands shook when he’d hand bags of groceries to customers.

Lee had somehow become even more withdrawn afterwards. He barely spoke, and he looked even more tired than usual. 

This puzzled Xavier. Lee had never reacted this way to other villains in the newspaper. Maybe he was just scared and didn't want to talk about it. Toxic masculinity was a hell of a thing, and Xavier gave Lee his space, encouraging the others to do the same.

Once the newspapers were replaced, he slowly started acting as he usually did. His weird, closed-off, usual self.

During a slow day, Tangerine grabbed the TV remote from Mister Murphy’s office. “Guys, guys, Dragonfly’s on the news!” she shouted, turning up the volume to the little television on the corner of the ceiling.

Seeing their city’s Superhero during the day was a rare sight. It looked like she was fighting a giant robot of some kind, the news report barely able to film the fight.

“Ooh, I hope that’s far from us.” muttered Joy, pretending to sweep as she watched.

Tangerine shrugged. “That looks like the other side of the city, we should be fine. Not like the boss would let us go.” She said with a giggle, taking out her phone to start taking selfies.

Xavier noticed Lee was watching with keen interest, and gave him a playful nudge. “That’s right, you’re not from here.”

Lee briefly tore his gaze from the television to give him a sarcastic glance. “What gave it away?”

“This is probably the first time you’ve seen her, huh? The Dragonfly!”

“It’s just Dragonfly, not ‘The’ Dragonfly.” Tangerine corrected, not looking up from her phone.

Xavier rolled his eyes, but turned back to Lee. “What do you think? She’s something, huh? Not every city has their own Superhero!”

Lee didn’t answer. But Xavier could practically see the gears turning in his mind, thinking of a response.

“She’s…she’s somethin’ alright.” he finally said, repeating what Xavier had said. There was a strange tone in his voice, one that Xavier couldn’t really identify. Hesitant? Strained?

“I think she’s super cool. I mean, I sure couldn’t do that, man!” Xavier said, trying to move on. With a sly grin, he said in a hush. “I think she’s kinda hot. Easy on the eyes, you know?”

Xavier nearly burst into laughter at how red Lee’s face got at that. “Leeeee, you’re a dog! I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry!”

“She does her job.” Lee tried to insist, crossing his arms over his chest. “And she does her job well, from what I’ve seen. I can respect that.”

How very pragmatic. How very…him. Xavier smiled and pat him on the back. “Least we got one thing in common, huh dude?”

Lee gave him a long, unimpressed look before shrugging. “Sure. One thing. One thing in common.”