#vc: 002

[ofruinations]

for @all-cf-me—

"Mister Ramsay." Adonis comments dryly, sweat pooling from his brow as he comes back from yet another shift with the infirmary. These bunkers aren't the lap of luxury, but he at least expected a full suite of medical equipment, not the meager tools they've given him. He needs some place to put the exhaustion, and the frustration—and Dodge is certainly an apt receptacle. "Keeping the populace safe from cable cats, I assume?"

[haistulf]

' ugh. you? '

astolfo could not sound less pleased if he tried— and he has tried, especially around oliver. spitting the word like something extraordinarily disgusting, it's all the attention the boy gets for the moment. astolfo is busy with driving the tip of louisette through the jaw of a glitched he's standing on top of, boot digging into its chest as it convulses on the ground.

it managed to slice at him earlier, so there's a special type of ire in the way he presses his spear through its face. he digs and digs and digs, until it's reduced to rattled wheezing, and then finally nothing. his head feels heavy. his limbs feel sluggish.

he can't afford to get tired, not when there's an endless number of bodies to remove. grabbing a tonic from his belt, a syringe filled with a green liquid, astolfo expertly pushes the needle into a vein by his neck. it does its work, gives him a small boost—

he still stumbles as he steps off the dead glitched. the paladin makes a loud, frustrated noise and the other boy is still looking at him, so astolfo's head whips around to stare at him accusingly. ' can you go anywhere else? i'm busy! '

@ostentumm ; sc (modifier: p is for poison)

[secr3trings]

@celestikal : is it wrong if it makes shadow so happy

kinda. yeah.

[reggiefalvey]

reggie 📲 reggie rescue squad.

Reggie: Stop changing the name back to this Reggie: Didn't see any St. David's Day posts from either of you 🤨 Reggie: Twmffats

[aercnaut]

WELL, THAT THROWS him off. usually, when asriel spoke to him of lyra, it dripped with venom -- both toward him & the child. it made lee's skin crawl the way he spoke about her like she was some kind of stray animal that only existed to be a pest.

he likes to think people can change, yet something keeps lee from giving asriel any benefit of the doubt. for a moment, shock crosses his features before shifting back to vague sardonic neutrality.

" don't applaud a fish for swimmin', belacqua. reckon that's beneath you. "

@asrielbelacquaaaa said: " thank you for protecting the child. "

[countercharmda]

@waterdepths / cont from x.

What comfort there is to be found in stories! Sorcerous Sundries was a somewhat familiar haunt for Serendipity. There are the faintest memories of coming around with his mother when he was little more than an excitable child. That feeling, despite having changed somewhat, returns now upon stepping inside. Magic lines the shelves, within pages of sensitive books surrounding them. There are spells here; more importantly, there are stories here.

When Gale holds one collection of such stories -- admittedly, one of the bard's favorites -- Serendipity can't help the glowing smile that grows at the sight. " I remember the copy my university had, " he whispers, " though, I can't fully remember the contents... " The bard's brow furrows quizzically, before a thought strikes him. The exclamation that follows is a comical hiss -- an attempt at keeping quiet, so as to not disturb any tomes.

" I'm not sure where exactly it is, but one tale comes to mind. Do you happen to know the story of the star-crossed lovers? The duke from Baldur's Gate, and the artisan from Waterdeep? An arranged marriage, a dedication to the craft... "

[aercnaut-archived]

@daemondaes said: ★

send ★ to pin my muse to the wall

THE WITCH'S STRENGTH SURPRISES THE YOUNG man as his back hits the mast of the balloon, though he knows he shouldn't be. magic was a helluva thing, he muses. she is so much smaller than him, and he can't help but smirk despite knowing damn well how easily she can humble him. at his feet, hester shakes her little head.

one of these days she's going to actually hurt you.

" and to what do i owe this pleasure, miss cherry? " he asks, " did i blink at ya wrong? "

[dcspiteevcrything]

@charlatann said: ❛ i can’t leave you alone for one minute, can i? ❜

ARMS ARE FOLDED, face scrunched into a slight pout as she dangles from the trap by her ankle.

" i was just curious! now please cut me down! "

[paienne]

𓈒 ೃ࿔*˚⁺‧͙̩̩͙̼   ✟͏ 𝒜 𝒟𝒪𝒲𝑅𝒴 𝒪𝐹 𝐵𝐿𝒪𝒪𝒟 , ft. @fuckedstory + charlie swan.

“   not   to   be   negative,    chief   swan        –   ”        oh,    but   she   does   so   like   raining   on   his   parade,    at   least,    just   a   little.    makes   her   own   dreary,    rainy   world   a   little   less   grim   on   days   when   all   she's   had   to   do   is   carefully   apply   bluey   band-aids   and   direct   little   old   ladies   to   imaging.            “   but   i'm   pretty   sure   curiosity's   what   killed   the   cat.   ”            a   shrug   of   her   shoulders,    pale   blue   fabric   of   her   scrubs   rustling   with   the   movement   as   her   fingers   curl   around   the   lukewarm   styrofoam   that   holds   the   worst   coffee   she's   ever   tasted.    forks   community   hospital's   finest,    she'd   finished   her   white   mocha   from   the   only   decent   cafe   in   town   an   hour   into   her   shift.    a   wrinkle   of   her   nose   as   she   sips   disappointment,    swallows   it   down   as   a   necessity        –        enjoyment's   for   tequila   at   home   in   her   bathtub.            “   i   don't   think   there's   anything   to   be   suspicious   about,    anyways.   ”

at   least,    not   in   meredith's   less   than   humble   opinion.    doctor   in   a   technicality   way,    still   learning   her   way   through   the   ropes,    but   seasoned   detective        –        coroner        –        she   was   not.    none   of   that   changed   that   she   was   certain   the   reason   the   poor   guy   who'd   been   brought   in   the   other   night   doa'd   just   run   afoul   of   a   wild   animal.    some   kind   of   cougar   or   a   black   bear.    something   with   sharp   teeth   that   was   hungry   and   wanting.    and   none   of   that   changed   that   meredith   was   sure   charlie'd   only   come   poking   around   now   because   she   was   on   shift   tonight.    hoping   to   pull   a   favor   or   three,    even   if   he   wasn't   willing   to   admit   to   that   much   out   loud.       she   rocks   back   on   the   soles   of   her   sneakers,    exhales   a   feigned   exasperated   sigh        –        meredith   doesn't   like   doing   favors   for   anyone.    but   charlie'd   been   one   of   the   few   people   to   recognize   an   issue   when   it   came   to   her   mother's   failing   health;    had   even   been   polite   enough   to   not   mention   the   fact   that   the   illustrious   ellis   grey   was   rotting   away   in   a   long-term   care   facility   and   barely   remembered   her   own   daughter. 

“   i've   got   twenty   minutes   left   on   my   lunch   break,    guy's   still   on   ice   down   in   the   morgue.    i'll   take   you,    but   you're   going   to   owe   me.   ”           she   says   as   she   tosses   the   rest   of   her   coffee   into   a   large   wastebin        –        as   if   she   hasn't   been   indebted   to   him   for   over   a   year.

[akunaa]

@spokewar 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 :: “Oooooo. That looks painful.”

                𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙿𝙰𝙸𝙽  𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙽’𝚃  𝙵𝚄𝙻𝙻𝚈  𝚂𝙴𝚃  𝙸𝙽  𝚈𝙴𝚃.  adrenaline dulled the worst of it, but akuna knew the moment he stopped moving, it would hit him—sudden, brutal, like a speeder crashing into duracrete.  there was no hiding it now.  his right leg was a mess, and the searing burn stretching from his hip to knee told him it wasn’t a minor injury.  the blood soaking the fabric of his white trousers confirmed as much, dark and spreading still under the saturated light of the opulent ballroom.

bode kept his stance steady, his weight shifted just enough to spare his injured leg, but his face was a mask.  his master had trained him to suppress everything: his emotions, his pain, even his presence in the force, a skill sharpened to a deadly edge since the clone wars began.  and if he was honest with himself, bode had assumed kenobi would overlook him entirely.

tension coiled in his gut as he debated playing the part, brushing past the comment as though he were nothing more than an unfortunate bystander caught in something far above his clearance level.  after all, his disguise held: polished but nondescript coruscanti formal wear, dark hair neatly combed, the look of a gala attendee, not a fighter.  a 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 in the crowd; a 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓, unseen and unheard.  but he supposed, at this point, it hardly mattered.

he’d blown his cover wide open the second he called upon the force.  a single, instinctive push slammed one assailant into the wall, a fraction of a second—but long enough.  long enough for someone to notice.  long enough for someone to know.

             ❝could’ve been worse.  at least the senator’s kid is safe, and i’m still in one piece—mostly.  not my worst day.❞ bode flashed an easy grin, the edges of it betraying the frustration simmering just beneath the surface. he should’ve stayed out of sight, should’ve kept to himself. ❝i appreciate the assistance, master jedi.❞

bode flexed his right thigh, testing the damage—pain lanced up his leg, and his vision flickered black at the edges.  yeah, definitely torn.  maybe worse.

none of it mattered.  the senator’s daughter was alive.  another threat neutralized.  but bode’s assignment wasn’t over.  not yet.  the council would hear about this soon enough.  kenobi likely didn’t know the full picture; the council couldn't possibly keep every member briefed on each operation across the galaxy.  but if he reported this incident, what would he say?  what would he think of bode’s methods?  the gamble he had taken—risking his cover in such a high-profile covert operation.

                ❝master.❞ bode cast a wary glance around them before stepping closer, his voice squashed down to a whisper, ❝i know what i did was reckless.  but i couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.❞

[secr3trings]

Oh yeeeaaahhh .. he’s supposed to be the seat right ? It feels unfair to fight something that has everyone’s butts on it .. a real unfair fight.

[himbovillains]

‘ i'd like to hear your opinion before i tell you mine. ’ @maskedquill — sent from this prompt (x) still accepting!

‘ a smart move. ’ the subject in question is a moustache that anthony has taken to sporting, grown over the winter on a whim. she clasps her teacup between both hands, blowing gently across the surface of the chai within to cool it slightly. ‘ i think he likes it, and that is all that is important. ’ but her eyes tell a different story, almost daring him, perhaps even hoping that he might say something to the contrary as she looks at him across the table. ‘ do you not think his happiness is the thing that we should be focusing on the most? ’

[archaictold]

𝐙𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 biggest sweet tooth, but Haochen has a good eye for desserts. They sit together at the coffee table this afternoon, sampling treats and tea over conversation. It is often that he shares these sorts of meals with his brother, something the both of them might even call tradition: Meals were eaten together just like this back home, a staple of their family bonding all throughout childhood. It's comfortable, familiar. Zhilan always appreciates it, the quality time this habit of theirs tends to bring. In Spirale, most of this quality time is spent reminiscing. Of the past, of home and the people they miss. Zhilan talks kindly of these things as he portions off a helping of dessert for Xerxes, who would most certainly envy these cakes and chocolates he's having without him. The thought of him enjoying it later, smiling as he nimbly spoons chocolate mousse into his mouth, briefly brings one to Zhilan's lips as well.      ❝ I almost can't remember the last time we both shared a meal like this with our grandparents, ❞ he muses, a little wistful. ❝ It'd be nice to laugh with them again at our dinner table. ❞ He hikes a leg up as he repositions below on the carpet, casually slinging an arm over his knee. Haochen, proper as always, had opted to sit on the adjacent couch instead.      ❝ It'll probably be a while before we do. I made it difficult for us, after I... ❞ It leaves his mouth without meaning to, and it only hits him that he's saying it as it's halfway out. Zhilan feels his gut flash cold despite the warm tea settled in it, bewildered that he would make mention of such a bleak thought. Especially one that has no ground in truth. ( ... Right? )      ❝ A- Ah, sorry, that's not... It's nothing. I'm not sure where it came from. ❞

@stoicstoryteller — cupid shuffle.

[crimesoughtarchive]

📏 + 5’3

Send me 📏 (ruler) + your muses height and I'll compare them to mine!

"You know what? I get the feeling I should keep my mouth shut."

[aercnaut]

[pin] - sender and receiver are caught in a small space, causing their bodies to be close together. [ LOL. LMAO EVEN. ]

" FIRST YA WANNA kill me, " he huffs, trying to adjust as the rock wall behind him digs into his back, " now ya wanna kiss me. i'd be much obliged if you'd make up your god damned mind. "

how he got here, lee isn't sure. one minute, he's trying to find a place to camp for the night in a small cave, the next the thing from his nightmares is here, leering over him, chest pressed up against his in this claustrophobic corner of the cave.

to say lee is afraid is an understatement & yet...

well, he's never been one to shy away from danger & this man -- this thing -- absolutely reeks of it. maybe that's why he isn't panicking.

" you here for my life or...somethin' else, friend? "

@nightmarecountry // sexual tension starters

[schleckermaul]

what could be described as an accusation doesn't upset break, mostly because it rings true. he's aware that he's giving something of his own, an admission in his proposal of guilt and glee, but these days, it's easier to admit, isn't it? when guilt has sat with you for so long, when you've already found the end you've been seeking. death was always redemption, for xerxes break.

   he's died. and he's not home anymore, where his admission of past sins would've gotten him executed. so does it matter, when he's sitting in front of a mirror? is it worth the effort, to pretend?

   he'll never be redeemed, anyways.

   ' oh, that's no fun. i doubt you could tell me anything i can't already suspect. ' thievery, murder, loss, betrayal. whatever it is that humans can't grapple with, when they lay down at night, victims to their own thoughts. ' i'd much rather learn how you got to this point. what you call sins, as innumerable as they may be, and arriving at the conclusion of carrying them with a smile ... call me intrigued. '

@corvisque / ctd