#╰・ ⁀ ִ ˚ queue ・ shaping your own story

[ozzgin]

I live your human streamer x monsters! Imagine them doing unboxing videos and gifts from fans. Of course you get sweet ans who send really nice gifts. Then you get the fans who might send a bit more suggestive gifts. I think it would be pretty funny off some monsters sending yn "courting gifts". Poor gullible yn who is too nice to say know. Plus they don't exactly know its that type of gift

[Referring to this story] Content: gender neutral reader, monster romance, NSFW under the cut!

You didn’t think much of it. One day, one of your monster viewers had asked if they might send you a gift in the mail. You cheerfully agreed to it and continued eating your food, moving on from the topic.

Then you found your entrance door blocked by dozens of packages.

As it turns out, a lot of your monstrous fans had the same intention. You decided to start doing unboxing videos, clearing out your ever-flowing queue of gifts.

Some are innocently sweet. The plant creatures prefer surprising you with fresh bouquets of flowers or harvests. The bird hybrids usually go for shiny, eye-catching jewelry. You’ve received a cursed locket from a deep-sea kraken, and a haunted doll from one of your cheeky ghost followers.

Other packages are bolder in their intention.

“Is this a promise ring?” you wondered out loud, fumbling to comment on the unexpectedly romantic gesture and trying to hide the deep blush.

The worst part about these particular offerings is that they always seem to trigger a certain jealousy within the other viewers; it results in some increasingly ridiculous attempts to one-up the previous. You had to threaten to stop doing these videos once you found a wedding gown in one of the boxes.

If you've decided to delve into adult content for your monster fans, the variety of presents expands even further.

At first, you mostly received additional props for your content. Maybe a revealing outfit, or a pair of handcuffs. It didn't take long for your patrons to gain more confidence in their choices. You've hesitantly unboxed different kinds of sex toys, with little handwritten notes begging asking you to use them in your upcoming livestreams.

The turning point was when you revealed a custom-made dildo, bearing the shape of your viewer's own appendage. The chat had briefly gone silent while you gawked at the bizarre toy. Of course, they thought begrudgingly, what better gift than a way to fuck you from a distance?

Needles to say, you woke up to piles upon piles of similar "donations". You wondered if there's some erotic shop out there confused at its sudden spike in sales.

"Are you guys serious?" you whined, pulling out a large, silicone tentacle the size of your torso. "At this point I think I've collected all of your genitals."

"Mine hasn't shipped yet", a viewer comments.

[More Monsters]

[byunpum]

Experiment 56

Neteyam x Human reader ( like a mix of human and Navi )

and sullyFAM x human reader, why not? <3

Tw: mmm neteyam baby, reader being mutant, neytiri being a sweetheart, nothing really out of the ordinary (until now ), all the characters are aged up 20's.

POV: Y/N is surprised that it is an indispensable piece for the human race. But for her family…

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7

Experiment 56 masterlist | Experiment 56 sequel Masterlist

Note: I had that story in my head for some days, and since nobody published something similar, I decided to create my own reading. From now on I warn you that I am not very expert in this Navi culture, but I did my best. And I'll be using events that happened in the movie, but they won't be exactly the same. And sorry for the spelling. English is not my mother tongue.

Document #456 “experiment 56” [human-navi] southern area:

“The experiment is making progress. After 30 attempts, we can finally say that the first embryo is taking shape. If this embryo grows as we all hope. This will be a huge turnaround for the human race."

Dr. Herdenson signs.

Yes, that was you… an experiment. Or better said “experiment 56”. A perfect mix of navi and human. You had your human body, but in your hair you were accompanied by the distinguished queue of the navis (tsaheylu) and the ability to breathe the air of pandora without any problem. You were a beautiful baby. Or that's what Jake said when he saw you in norm's arms. After the great battle, and after the humans were sent to earth, the peaceful scientists were the only ones who stayed, and that was when the investigations of the facilities that the military had in Pandora began. And that's where they found you. A newborn baby. Norm didn't know what to do and neither did any of the scientists, you were a whole new species, but you were still human. They had enough with spider, who was still a baby. So when Neytiri and Jake were picking up Kiri in the lab, Norm didn't hesitate to introduce him to this baby.

"what kind of baby is this?" Jake asks as he holds you in his arms.

“It's an experiment, I'm terrified to know what else they did, but… this is some kind of mix between human and navi. From what I could investigate they wanted to create a new race of humans.” said norm.

Neytiri didn't take her eyes off you, she couldn't believe that a human could have some navi characteristics. You were physically like the people in the sky, but you had your little braid. For neytiri you were a great miracle, eywa would not let any creature be created, if it had no meaning for life.

"I thought… since you guys are going to take Kiri, why don't you take Y/N" Norm said.

"Y / N" neytiri has taken you from Jake's arms and placed you on his chest. She felt something special…she didn't understand why she felt compassion and love for something created by humans.

"Well… I don't have a problem, but neytiri…" Jake looked at neytiri, who was already mesmerized by the baby she was holding in her arms.

“I will help you, I will also teach her about human culture. But I think it's only right that you take care of her these first days of her life. I know you guys will do a better job than me." Norm kept talking to Jake, and explaining how they found you. While neytiri, he was holding kiri and you in his arms. You wouldn't be her daughter, but she would take care of you like one.

Arriving home, neytiri quickly introduced the new babies, to her already born son, neteyam. She placed the three babies together, and looked at them for a while. Until the warm silence was interrupted by Jake. He placed his head on Neytiri's shoulder.

"Are you comfortable with all this? It's not much… ”Jake said, while Neytiri turned to see her mate now. “We have to introduce you to the clan, kiri and y/n…. they must be presented to eywa”. She said as she smiled.

And that's how you grew up in the sully family, you pretty much lived with them 24/7, occasionally going with norm and the other scientists to learn about your other culture. But your home was in the forest. Over time more members arrived, loak and tuk. And sometimes they were accompanied by a boy named spider, which neytiri did not like. You didn't understand why she didn't like the child, he was just like you, the only thing different was an oxygen mask and that she didn't have the queue. But otherwise he was just like you.

"why don't you love spider?" you asked as neytiri traced your hair. You were only about 10 years old at this time, and you already noticed the differences in treatment. “He's not like us,” Neytiri said, her voice serious. "But he looks like me" you raised your head higher, to make eye contact with the woman who was lovingly combing your hair. "Yes, but you're not like him… you're a navi." Neytiri did not want to delve too much into the subject. To her you were special, her special gift from her just like Kiri. She didn't like discussing these topics with you, plus they were difficult topics to understand.

The years passed 15, 16 then 19 and now 20 years. You were quite a woman, and it was not to brag, but you were very beautiful. Even mo'at she said it "for a mix, you are very beautiful" she always said this while you helped her with the medicines. And this is also not overlooked by the eldest son of the sully, neteyam.

You grew up with him, literally together. As children, you did everything in each other's company. Since you were smaller than normal navis children. Jake gave neteyam the task of taking care of you and always being by your side. Even when it came time to choose your ikran, neteyam made sure it was one you could master, but this turned out to be a disaster as your size prevented you from riding your ikran easily, to which neteyam promised you that his ikran was also yours. You were able to bond with smaller animals, but Jake was always afraid you'd get hurt. Therefore, you and neteyam always accompanied each other in hunting and exploring pandora. You were inseparable. You were attached to the other brothers, but with neteyam it was different, it seemed that you were meant for each other. Or so loak and spider said, while he made fun of you two for looking like gumballs.

“Jake is going to kill you…you know that” you said while Kiri was at your side. You referred to Jake by his name, but eywa knew that you loved him as your father.

"Well, if you keep quiet no one will find out" loak, trying to see what was left of a ruined laboratory. area that Jake had forbidden them to go to.

"I think we have to go, that's enough… kiri, spider, tuk y/n let's get out of here" neteyam got up from the grass while he took y/n's hand.

“hey, wait… we just started. Nothing will happen. We're just going to look and we'll go quickly” Spider said taking your other hand and pulling you closer to him. Neteyam did not find this gesture comfortable. He was in charge of you. Neteyam knew that if something happened to loak or spider the punishment would be light. But if you, kiri or tuk got hurt, he had to disappear from the peace of pandora. Because his parents were going to kill him. And, on the other hand, he didn't really like the physical contact that spider had with you. He felt intimidated, in the end spider and you shared more physical similarities. That you with him and that broke his heart.

"Come on, just for a while" tuk yelled as she made little faces at her older brother. “Don't be a party pooper…come on!!!” loak came out of the undergrowth and behind was spider going both to the laboratory. Kiri sighed and followed them and behind her was a tuk.

“We are going to get in trouble” said neteyam as he looked at you. “Well yes… but it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Come on…and I swear I'll stay by your side.” You look at neteyam, while he gives you an approving smile and chases after the others.

Upon entering the laboratory, they noticed that everything was consumed by nature. There were abandoned paperwork, among other things. Something was very noticeable, there was a very bad smell. "ahhhh disgusting" tuk shouted, while kiri covered his mouth. "Shut up, we have to be quiet" Kiri replies, as he continues further into the offices. Everything seemed taken from a movie, one of those you'd seen with norm. Everyone was investigating random things that were found, neteyam was by your side. His tail flicked back and forth alertly and would occasionally curl around your leg. "Neteyam I'm fine… calm down" you told him as you passed your hand through his arms. "You know I feel like this is not right, we should go." Before you could respond to neteyam, loak called you to go look at some documents he had found.

As you approached, you noticed that they were in an old desk, and this was in front of a capsule that was already broken. And these papers were in a folder, which had written on the front "experiment 56" and in small letters "new species (mutated humans)". Neteyam stood behind you, loak was on your right side and kiri and spider were on your left side, all of them were surrounding you. And they looked at you with great intrigue.

You knew you were different, but you had never seen yourself as a human, since neytiri always said that you were equal to a navi. And no one ever said anything about your appearance, or you never heard anything. So you didn't care much about your appearance, but you weren't unaware that you were different. So when you saw a title that could be related to you, you were shocked.

"Give me I open it for you!!!" spider took the documents and began to read them. You all knew how to read without any problem because norm had taught you as children. “experiment 56, we want…blah blah blah improving the human race, uniting the genes of the navis with the human. The purpose is to create a new race of super humans. So they can live in pandora and blah blah blah.” Spider kept talking, while the others just listened intently. Neteyam noticed how you were moving towards the capsule that was further on, I accompanied you "y/n…" he started to speak, but you interrupted him "I'm a damn experiment… a thing. I am a monster” Your eyes began to fill with tears, neteyam knelt down and made you look into his eyes “spider shut up… y/n look at me!!! You're not a thing, much less a monster. You are a navi, you are our family" Kiri approached and hugged you from behind "it's true, ignore what those papers say. Maybe they have nothing to do with you” you looked at neteyam and kiri with so much love. You loved them both so much. “but… the only person here with a tail and is human is y/n. So this talks about you” said loak while everyone looked at them with angry faces. And of course, you also loved that idiot.

You approached the papers, you took them and kept them in a small bag that you had on your waist. "How about we continue investigating?" They all started, but not even 5 minutes passed when a voice came out of the choker "y/n, where the hell are you?" It was Jake's voice. You pressed the button on the right to answer. "I'm with the boys for a walk?" You hear Jake's ragged breathing into the microphone, you know very well you're lying, "Is everyone there with you?" "Yes" they all respond at the same time "Listen, get out of wherever you are and go back home. Now!!!" the voice was stern "I hope you guys aren't in the abandoned lab or else" Jake's voice was interrupted when tuk replies that she's sorry, and that loak forced them to go.

While Jake began to scold loak, you and Kiri looked at each other in shock as they heard some voices coming from outside. You guys quickly left the back of the lab, making as little noise as possible. all of you ran silently into the forest, "I think voices are no longer heard here" said tuk, until a hand grabbed your hair and placed you on the ground. More people came out and took them all. Between screams and whimpers. A tall avatar came out of some corner of the forest, he had an authoritarian and evil appearance. He approached you and looked at your features "So you are the guinea pig they were looking for, you are beautiful" Your teary eyes could only look at the sinister look of that man, while you heard the screams of your family in the background.

p.s: This is a pilot, if you like it let me know, I have the whole story in my head.

[critterbitter]

HELLO HI ID LIKE TO ASK WHAT PROGRAM AND BRUSHES YOU USE CUZ IM LITTERALY EXPLODING EVERYTIME I SEE YOUR ART

actually actually... *pulls out whole stack of paper*...I have. a FEW,, a good few,, questions to ask. they are not many I swear 😇

OK SO FIRST OF ALL HOW DO YOU DRAW SO FAST???? everyday I log onto Tumblr I always see something new from you and I get very very happy. But then I start to question my own existence because not even I CAN SPEED RUN ART LIKE THAT. AND SO SPECTACULARLY TOO

Last question! how do you color and make it look so well?? just. How. I need to know. This is a CRY FOR HE-

anyway thank you for being one of my favorite artists that always feed my brain rot, pls keep making amazing art because like a little yamper I will follow behind and stay updated.

(Stands there)

Response and thoughts under cut!

First question! What art program I use!

Mostly procreate, along with a handful of brushes! (Specifically the Jing Set and some custom stuff, which is really just a circle brush with the shape changed to a square.)

Second question! How do i draw so much!

Okay so. I am. Ahhah. Unemployed,,,,? No, I do freelance illustration, but hmm. A studio job would be nice.

i graduated college last year and I’m very used to eight hour art shifts. The body sort of remembers to keep working, even though I no longer have storyboards or visdev homework to do.

Also. The hyperfixation is a deep vast tunnel I STILL have not seen the end of the light to, good golly. (I have dreams now about the kids committing shenanigan crimes. I wake up in cold sweat and write them down in a journal. It’s like being the mouthpiece to an angry god.)

So the overall gist is: I was trained to be a storyboard artist with a visdev background, and I’m using that higher education to draw funny muppets because my brain’s funny.

I also DO have a queue, and I’ve been treating this as a sort of inktober project. I am definitely going to slow down soon though! Maybe. Hopefully. Ah… (sheepishly drops my kofi here)

Third question! How do i color!

I. I, uh. I dont know man the coloring demons have a grip on my soul and i just go along for the ride. But also, if it helps, i prefer to limit my pallets to only a few colors at a time. Lighting is king, so if you can figure out if you want to focus on either on your lights or shadows, you’ll have a much easier time composing. That, and symbolic colors— idk, something hits different about art drenched in gold with a tiny hint of a man staring into the blinding horizon, or a green leafy environment with a single dot of artificial red. I also like using blue and purple for shadows, and I’m a big fan of muting colors with only one or two that pop— one of the reasons why I was so attracted to submas in the first place is because from a design aesthetic, they’re both super funny muppet men AND really cool train guys that have a limited pallet and thematic apparel.

Overall response! THANK YOU SO MUCH. This goes out to a BUNCH of people who sent me inbox queries— sorry for not responding, it’s a tad overwhelming because some of them are story questions even I don’t really know will go yet, and others are words of praise and I’m selfish and like scrolling through the inbox to look at them when I feel down. I am more of an artist who sits in the corner and sprouts like a potato rather then a branching vine who socializes, but I really do see people’s responses and they make me go :)))))

Okay ramble over. Thanks for coming to the soapbox, and good luck on creating!

[sangyeonsmuse]

FALLEN ANGEL

PAIRING Preachers Son Jacob x Innocent Reader ft demon Sangyeon

WORD COUNT | 3.6k

GENRE Smut

WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DNI Jacob likes corrupting you, Sangyeon tempting Jacob, mentions of masturbation, porn without plot, degradation, corruption, pet names like darling, mature language, vaginal fingering, oral, penetration,etc

SUMMARY Jacob isn’t the sweet angelic preachers son everyone makes him out to be. Behind closed

doors he just can’t stop thinking about corrupting you.

An old story of mine rewritten for tbz, i haven’t read through again so sorry if there are typos

“Jacob, tomorrow morning make sure that all pews are neat and each seat has a bible, along with the tithe envelopes, we’ll be having a few new families joining us today for sister leah’s baptism.” His father spoke authoritatively over the phone, having left Jacob alone while he and his mother went on their yearly anniversary vacation. Which meant it fell upon Jacob to take care of their upcoming service since they weren’t home.

“Yes father.’’ Jacob absentmindedly scribbled down all of his fathers orders on a piece of paper

Being the son of a preacher and the town's golden preacher's son meant that everything about him, the family, and its church must be perfect and in no shape or form show anything that presented them as anything other than pure. While Jacobs' father believed he had the perfect family and the most innocent and well put together son he had been completely wrong about the innocence of the man. Growing up his father had always taught him the things that were right and wrong in the eyes of all those holy within that list was the conjuring or deal making with demons or devils, like any kid he would listen and it would all go through one ear and out the other.

“What a daddy’s boy, still following all of his orders like you always did back when we were kids.’’ His mischievous voice cuts through the silence of the place like a knife.

“Sangyeon , I told you to stop showing up here.’’ Jacob sighs as he sits his phone down on the bed and continues to jot down tomorrow's preparations before the next upcoming service.

“Awe now where's the fun in that, i already own half your soul so there's really no getting rid of me unless you bind me to someone else.’’ Sangyeon chuckles as he kicks back on one of the benches with his hands behind his head.

And he was entirely right. When Jacob was younger, Sangyeon and him had been the best of friends, of course any outsider would assume the two hated one another the way they always bickered or annoyed one another. Jacob being the more calm and level headed while Sangyeon had always been the more risky and rowdy one. Well one night Jacob had gotten a call from Sangyeons mother telling him that Sangyeon was gone. Not wanting to lose his best friend Jacob took it so hard that he went against his morals and brought a spirit board home one night. He had been tampering around with things he knew nothing about and somewhere along the line without realizing he made a deal with a demon to bring back his friend. A demon that now not only owned Sangyeons soul, but part of his as well.

“Why is it that even through death and damnation you find ways to annoy me Sangyeon.’’ Jacob shakes his head as he finishes up with preparation notes.

“You’re the one that brought me back, stop acting as if you wouldn’t have missed it.’’ Sangyeon chuckles and sits up from the bench and as if on queue theres a knock on the door and Jacob makes his way downstairs being followed by Sangyeon. As he opened the door there you stood.

Sangyeon didn’t miss the way Jacobs gaze immediately took you in from head to toe and there was a sudden shift in his mood as well as the look in his eyes. Sangyeons lips immediately curled at the sides, a mischievous grin now decorating his lips as a lightbulb went off over his head.

“Well she’s cute cobie, is she the one you’re always moaning about whenever you jerk off alone in your shower.’’ Sangyeon chuckles as his tongue grazes over his fanged teeth, as you look up at Jacob your gaze was so sweet and innocent, Sangyeon couldnt help but eye you with an amused look on his face and a glint in his eyes.

Jacob gave the latter an annoyed look before looking back at you.

“What it’s not like they can see or hear me? Afraid they’ll find out innocent little Jacob isn’t so innocent and pure?’’ Sangyeon stands at his side and watches the interaction between the two of you.

“y/n what are you doing here? were we supposed to study today, did I forget?” Jacob speaks with the softest tone, it was enough to make Sangyeon laugh, having seen straight through his bullshit.

“Actually my parents thought that it would be a good idea to help you out with prep for tomorrow since your parents told them you’d be alone. And they wanted to make sure everything will go well with my sister's day tomorrow.” She gave him an innocent smile, one that Sangyeon found oh so enticing.

Your parents had been quite fond of Jacob since the moment you all first started attending his family's church. They saw him as a sweet well put together man , not to mention he and his family's faith seemed to be quite strong. Unaware of who he truly was behind the scenes they felt he would have been perfect for you. You, their sweet innocent daughter who they raised to be pure and sweet under the eyes of god, which you were. Never been to parties, never caught drinking or smoking. You were exactly what they had raised you to be, a good girl, one that Jacob who was also meant to be pure had thought of corrupting time and time again, but never put into action.

“You think she’s a virgin too? That’ll make it even more fun to corrupt her right Cobie? I bet she is a cute little virgin that's why you like her so much.’’ Sangyeon chimes in and Jacob simply ignores him, trying his best to focus on you alone.

“I see you don’t need to worry I’ll make sure your sister's day goes perfect, but i could still use the help, come in.’’ Jacob responds while leading you inside and over to the couch to have a seat.

“I have no doubt that it’ll be perfect my parents think very highly of you and your father.’’ She laughs as she takes a seat and adjusts her dress.

“Do they now? I wonder how her parents would feel if they knew the things you think of their daughter, she’s cute Cobie, seems innocent too, makes me want to play with her even more.’’ Sangyeons finger slid over your thigh sending a shiver through your body, you being entirely unaware of his presence caused you to believe it was simply just a chill.

“Sangyeon.’’ Jacob calls him through gritted teeth which only earns a laugh from Satoru.

“Just say the word and i’ll leave her alone.’’ His fingers slowly grazed the skin up your legs until he reached your skirt. As he watched as Sangyeon opened his mouth and flared his fangs Jacob could no longer stay silent.

“Sangyeon enough.’’ his voice was so loud it startled you for a second, you were even more startled to see another man appear at your side kneeling at eye level with your thighs.

“Now you’ve done it Cobie, you know the rules looks like she could see me now.’’ Sangyeon chuckles as Jacob silently curses himself for having said Sangyeons name in front of you.

“W-what? Where did you come from? Jacob?’’ Your eyes frantically move back and forth between Sangyeon and Jacob.

“This should be fun. Go on Cobie tell her about your deal.’’ Sangyeon leans against the couch behind her with a huge amused look on his face at his friend's sudden silence.

“Not gonna tell her? Alright, well angel i’m Lee Sangyeon a demon and Cobies best friend, Cobie here gave up half of his soul to a demon to bring me back when i died, but i could only come back under unfortunate circumstances, so guess you can say im his own personal demon.’’ Sangyeon ignores his now annoyed friend sitting there with a look of disapproval on his face.

“You know you really are pretty, I see why Jacob is always thinking about you.’’ he continues on, disregarding the silence between the three of them.

“Sangyeon.’’ Jacob finally glances at him, his eyes now darkening as if queueing Sangyeon to shut up.

“What? I just want to play with her a little. Don't act like you're some sweetheart wanting to protect her. Go on tell her about all those times you’ve jerked off thinking about her, about all those times you’ve had to force yourself to behave around her when she would show up to study sessions in her cute little skirts. What’s stopping me from playing with her now that she knows I'm here? What stops you from playing with her now that she knows you aren't as sweet and innocent as you look?’’ Sangyeons hand wraps around your neck earning a gasp from you as his other snakes around her waist.

“Just look at her Cobie, the way she trembles at my touch and looks to you just to save her and protect her from me. Be her savior then.’’ Sangyeon chuckles and licks a slit up your neck earning a soft whine from you that makes Jacobs cock twitch against his pants.

“She’s so believing in you being her cute little savior, sweet innocent preacher's son, save her then Jacob, live up to your title.’’ Sangyeons tone was quite menacing as he tries to talk Jacob into giving in to his desires.

“Jacob...’’ His name spills from your lips like a silent plea, you were looking for him to help you unaware that you had given him the very push he needed just by calling his name.

“Listen to how desperate she sounds calling out for you Cobie.’’ Sangyeon chuckles as he slides his fingers up your skirt and pushes his fingers past your folds.

“She’s perfectly ready for you to save her.’’ Sangyeons other hand holds your skirt up in place against your stomach revealing how tight you were wrapped around Sangyeons fingers. Seeing such a sight and hearing a cry spill from your lips, nothing else mattered to Jacob but this.

“That’s it show her the real you.’’ Sangyeons fingers moved so quickly against your clit that you had no time to refuse him.

“J- Jacob please.’’ You choke out soft pleas which Jacob simply ignored, he was done putting up his facade especially having gotten to see you in this position, legs spread wide on his own couch with his best friends fingers buried deep in your cunt.

“God your whining is so pathetic it makes me want to ruin you even further.’’ Jacob finally speaks, making you fall silent and Sangyeon laughs behind you.

You were completely taken back by Jacobs sudden change. Moving closer to the two of you he lets out a dark chuckle as he helps Sangyeon hook your panties to the side, pushing a finger through your folds he then brings it to the lips. This was the complete opposite of the Jacob you knew, the Jacob he pretended to be around you.

“How is she?’’ Sangyeons face had been close to your neck, you felt his fangs graze your neck as if warning you not to make one move. Which meant you were forced to keep your eyes on Jacob, watching the way his head falls back and he lets out a soft hum at the taste of you.

“Such a sweet girl, let’s take our time with her Yeon.’’ A desperate whine spills from your lips as Jacob buries yet another finger inside of you.

“Make sure she doesn't get too rowdy Yeon, shut her up until she learns to be silent, wouldn't want your parents to hear anything from next door now would you darling? Their good little girl being fucked by a demon and the person they think so highly of.’’ Sangyeon whispers near your ear before biting into the skin on your shoulder earning a loud scream. Your scream is swallowed up into Jacobs mouth as he takes your lips against his in a kiss.

While he had you distracted with his kiss he took a moment to unbuckle his belt and pull out his cock, he didn’t miss the soft whine that spilled out from your lips and into his as he kissed you. Grabbing hold of your hair he roughly pulls away from your lips before shoving his cock deep down your throat without warning.

“Shit.’’ he grunts out as he thrusts into your mouth the tip of his cock hitting the back of your throat over and over as he disregards every gag or cry that spills from your lips as well as the tears that form in your eyes slowly falling down your beautiful face.

“Shit look at how wet she is Cobie, she likes it, how cute, corrupted little angel getting turned on while she’s being used like a fuck toy.’’ Sangyeon presses his thumb against the sensitive bud between your folds, smiling at the way your body jerked and convulsed at his touch.

“And here we were thinking you were just a good little girl that did everything her parents asked.’’ Sangyeon chuckles and watches as his friend simply went crazy showing no mercy whatsoever as he abused your throat.

“Tell me princess will you still play innocebt after this, fucking someone who isnt even your boyfriend and a demon right next door to your own home, how naughty. I guess i’ll have to continue to fuck away your innocence every time i see you from now on.’’ Jacob holds a fistfull of your hair, his grunts and moans of pleasure echoing throughout the entire house so loud he would have expected a noise complaint.

“Does this make her ours? Our personal little plaything.’’ Sangyeon chimes in cheerfully earning a glare from Jacob.

“Don’t act as if you haven't marked her already I saw you bite her Sangyeon.’’ Jacob growls and the moment he gets ready to cum he could hear a knock at the door and a chime on your phone and he was forced to stop.

With a chuckle he he places you on his lap as he takes a seat on the couch, while Sangyeon slips your phone from your purse.

“Looks like mommy and daddy are at the door sweetheart, i think i'll let them know you aren’t here at the moment.”

“Remember pretty girl, you make a sound and your entire family will know their innocent yn is just a dirty little girl that likes fucking demons.’’ Hoisting up your skirt Jacob places his hands on your ass and lifts you up gently sliding you down into his cock. After having texted your parents that you and Jacob had taken a break from studying to go out into town for food, Sangyeon places your phone down and walks over to you. Hovering over you he takes a fistfull of your hair and shoves his cock into your mouth until he completely bottoms out.

Jacobs eyes fixate on your bouncing figure as he watches your desperate movements. He found both amusement and pleasure at the way you so willingly gave in to him and Sangyeon now. his breath catching at the sight. Hearing your moans of pleasure and loud exclamations, a primal growl escapes his lips. Sangyeon tightens his grip on your hair upon feeling your cheeks hollow around his cock. As Jacob caught sight of you reaching up to stop Sangyeon from fucking into your throat he’s quick to grab your arms and force them behind your back.

“Nono angel, go ahead and take him like a good girl, i'm sure you can take it baby.” he thrusts his hips up with increasing force and speed. The sound of your bodies colliding fills the room along with the sweet sounds of your moans as if you were harmonizing, a symphony of your own pleasure and desire.

His eyes lock with Sangyeons, a mixture of lust and tenderness in his gaze. "You’re lucky to even be this close to her, enjoy yourself while it lasts Yeon" Jacob warns Sangyeon before letting out a breath, his voice filled with a mix of urgency and adoration.

His sultry voice only makes you eager to have him finish inside of you. The rotation of your hips and force of her bounces became stronger. As youre riding him so desperately your eyes catch a glimpse of Sangyeon, you immediately clench at the sight of him loving the way that his head fell back and loud groans spilled from his lips at the way your lips so skillfully sucked him off.

your gaze losing all its innocence, suddenly changing into one so lustful and sensual that it would make any man crumble at your feet. In that moment you didn’t seem to care about the consequences of your actions as you had both of them invoking unawakened pleasures within you you had never felt before that day. The more they gave in to their desires the more compliant you became, you wanted them to do whatever they wanted with you from this point forward, you'd allow them to completely destroy you however they wanted.

“Looks like you’re ready to cum already Cobie, she that good?’ Your hips rotation and skill of your tongue pulling the lewdest of moans from both parties.

Jacobs body tenses under the intensity of your movements, his breaths becoming more ragged as he nears his peak. Only thing you hated about this was the fact that you couldnt take in how beautiful he looked behind you. The sweat dripping down his neck as his hair fell loosely upon his face

He watches you, captivated by the way your hips rotate and the force of your desperate bounces. The feeling of your tightness and the way you clenched around him driving him wild with pleasure. The sound of their moans fills the confession box, a testament to the pleasure they're experiencing together.

Sangyeons eyes meet yours, his own filled with a combination of desire and a hint of dominance. His hips continue to move with a fervent rhythm as he takes control, giving in to the primal urge to dominate and see you crying at the force of his thrusts into your throat. The squelching sound from Jacob burying himself deep into your cunt intensifies the pleasure building within you.

Jacobs hand wraps around your neck, his grip tightening immediately around your throat as your body convulses with pleasure, his fingers combined with his rough thrusts earning gush after gush from you, your squirting only fueling his desire further. He watches your reactions, attuned to your every whimper and moan, while maintaining a careful balance of control and intensity. With a growl, he delivers harder thrusts, his hand still firmly wrapped around your throat, his dominance and control evident in his movements. He takes in the sight of you, the way your body trembles beneath him, your moans of pleasure echoing in the room.

"Too much, pretty girl?" he taunts, his voice laced with desire. "Or is it just enough? I want to make you lose yourself, to make you completely mine. My pretty little sinner. I'll corrupt you over and over again."

As the intensity between them reaches its peak, Jacob also continues to ravish you, the both of them taking you to the brink of ecstasy. All of your bodies move in unison, a dance of passion and pleasure, until you’d all succumb to the overwhelming release that awaited.

“Fuck look at her, shes making a mess.” Sangyeon groans as he looks down on the scene before him. You had never squirted so much in your life, actually you had never even squirted before in your life. Jacobs' couch had been completely soaked after Jacob having made you do it over and over again after seeing you do it the first time. He didn’t even care even if you begged him to let you cum. He found pleasure in edging you in ways that brought tears to your eyes and had you trembling for your release.

Sangyeon took pride in the way you gazed up at him, mouth full of his cock while drool spilled down your chin, your lip gloss a complete mess.

Upon feeling your body convulse and your trembling legs against his lap Jacob knew you were reaching your breaking point. His eyes darken with a mix of satisfaction and desire as he takes in the sight of you in such an overwhelmed state. Your body trembling, the evidence of the three of your escapades staining the couch. He relishes in the marks he's left on your skin, the hickeys adorning your skin a testament to him having corrupted you. Feeling your desperation and hearing your whimpered please, His own control begins to waver. He knows the both of you are on the edge, bodies yearning for release. With a final, powerful thrust, he pushes you both over that edge. Sangyeon is not too far behind allowing you all to release in synchronicities.

A guttural moan escapes his lips as he finds his own release, the intensity of it coursing through his veins. As you ride the waves of pleasure together, he holds you close to his chest savoring the aftermath of the encounter. THe way you lay against him so fucked out and pretty.

“From now on you’re mine, no one else looks at you or touches you, the only one allowed to corrupt your pretty little mind angel, is me.”

[wisted-twunderland]

TWST boys go to Disneyland!

Heartslabyul

Ace: Is an absolute fiend on the teacups and knows which one spins the fastest (the orange diamond) and how to really get it spinning.

Deuce: Gets spun too fast on the teacups by Ace and throws up. When he feels better he enjoys being the Pilot on Smuggler's Run.

Cater: Documents the whole thing on Magicam in real time. He gets all of the classic shots, like the selfie in front of the castle, holding up the Dole Whip in front of the Tiki Room, etc.

Trey: Spends a lot of time on Main Street sampling all the different confectionaries. Also sits with Deuce after he throws up.

Riddle: Will ride the Alice in Wonderland ride and talk about all the historical inaccuracies to anyone who will listen.

Savannaclaw

Leona: He's been dragged here too many times with his nephew and made to ride all the kiddie rides, so he'd rather skip the whole thing and nap in the hotel room. But when he is inevitably dragged to the park, he enjoys the atmosphere of Adventureland and eats an unreal amount of meat skewers from Bengal Barbeque.

Ruggie: Doesn't go because it's too expensive. Nah I'm just kidding, he goes, but he definitely packs all his own food. Goes through the bakery tour and the Ghirardelli factory tour for the free bread and chocolate until he's told he can't have any more free samples.

Jack Howl: He likes Frontierland best, because it's the least crowded (and the cactus landscaping is exceptional).

Octavinelle

Azul: He's not big on rides, but he really enjoys scouring the historical showcases at the front of the park. As the owner of his own up and coming mega-conglomerate, he is eager to glean any information he can about the park and its rise to fame (and fortune).

Jade: He's very eager to get a selfie in from the yellow mushroom in Fantasyland, claiming its because of its historical significance. (Did you know it used to be a ticket booth?)

Floyd: Rides any and all of the roller coasters as many times as possible. Is not above pushing past little kids to run to the next ride.

Scarabia

Kalim: Is as excited as any kid there. Wants to see and do everything, and cries at the fireworks at the end of the day.

Jamil: Spends most of his time trying to keep up with Kalim and make sure he drinks some water once in a while. Enjoys the music and the parade more than he lets on.

Pomfiore

Vil: Enjoys the park from under a sun parasol, UV shades, and a high SPF sunscreen. He HATES that Snow White's Scary Adventure has been turned into *~*Snow White's Enchanted Wish*~*. The kids of today are WEAK.

Rook: He is hunting aiming to meet as many characters as possible and get them to sigh in his hit signature book.

Epel: Makes it his goal to sample every kind of candy apple in each of its differently decorated forms (Poor bear apple, Mickey ears apple, marshmallow apple, baby yoda apple, etc). Also a roller coaster fanatic.

Ignihyde

idia: Rides Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster's over and over trying to beat the all time high score (it's his). Knows where all the best targets are and can turn the cart with one hand while shooting with the other. ("This is the OG of interactive rides, even though Toy Story Mania may be more modern, this ride paved the way. At the time getting your picture taken and sending it to friends via email was unheard of but this ride blah blah blah blah...)

Ortho: Enjoys Pirates of the Carribean for its theming and "primitive robotics". Likes Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for the same reason.

Diasomnia

Malleus: Will purchase and consume a Mickey shaped ice cream bar at every opportunity (He knows where all the ice cream carts are by the end of trip). He finds Fantasia amusing and says that the dragon is a "passable likeness".

Lillia: He's amazed at how much the park has changed since he was last here ("Star Wars Land? That area used to be a petting zoo.") Enjoys Haunted Mansion and startling Sebek in the queue.

Sebek: "We need to make sure we use our Lightning Lane at precisely 3:30, and then we must get to Goofy's Kitchen immediately after for our character dining experience, after which we must reserve our spot for the fireworks..." He's extremely concerned with getting the most out of the trip and ensuring that Malleus has a good time (Malleus doesn't care).

Silver: Enjoys the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough, as it is dark, full of vintage charm, and uncrowded. Falls asleep before the fireworks ever start.

[interact-proof]

Info Masterpost

Hi everyone, you may know me from around the IF community, probably primarily from here, but you may also be familiar with some projects I've worked on as an editor (the two most prominent being @bodycountgame and @nyehilismwriting's Project Hadea) or other things I've done around the place. Regardless, it's my intention to set up a place here to provide proof-reading and other editing services in order to help people in the IF community who may struggle with doing it themselves for whatever reason (be that due to time, or difficulty, or anything else).

What's on Offer?

We all know that being an interactive fiction author is a HUGE undertaking - we're our own planners, publicists, programmers and also editors a large amount of the time - and sometimes it can be a lot to grapple with. I also know from personally interacting with a lot of authors that editing in particular can feel intimidating for people who don't do it often, and lots of people feel like they don't get it right or don't trust their own judgement with it. That's a normal feeling for anyone inexperienced in a certain skill to go through, but also it turns out that luckily, the internet exists!

For a fee, I can hopefully take some of the stress out of the process by doing copy, line or developmental editing for you, or a combination of the three in some way, shape or form. This doesn't give me any control over your work, obviously, and any suggestions that I make will be just that, suggestions - though like any editor worth their salt, I'll always do my best to explain what I'm suggesting and why, so that you can hopefully make an informed decision about what you want to do about it.

See below the cut for more information, along with pricing and some basic FAQs. Thanks for reading!

So, how does it work?

Well, it's pretty simple, really - you reach out and talk to me about what you want edited, I'll let you know how many (if any) jobs are in my queue currently, we'll confirm what the price will be, and then you decide if you want to go ahead with contracting my services. If we agree to work together, you'll sit back and relax after finishing the exhausting writing process, or, if you're really a glutton for punishment, start writing something new, and I'll do the editing. Then I'll return it to you, and send you an invoice. Easy!

I'm not going to hover over your shoulder demanding certain changes be made or be offended if you disagree with me - that's not a good editor's function, in my personal opinion. What you choose to do with my editing suggestions afterwards is entirely up to you!

FAQs

What's the difference between copy editing, line editing and developmental editing?

Most people editing for themselves do all three different types of these at once, but they are actually three separate skillsets. Copy editing is another term for what's sometimes called proof-reading; basically, it's checking for spelling and grammar mistakes (including homophones and so forth) but not for other purely textual elements like ineffective word usage or weak sentence structures. Anything beyond basic grammatical correctness is covered by what's called line editing, which looks at some common things people worry about like overused words, weak metaphors or other imagery, and sentences or segments of the text that can possibly be written in a way to more effectively convey the message they're trying to get across.

Developmental editing is a whole other ballgame - this is the part that most often makes authors nervous, the act of considering the text in terms of the effectiveness of each paragraph and story beat, analysing which parts of the narrative and various character arcs are working and which aren't, and so forth. This is a type of editing that is heavy on critique, and very subjective: it's akin to the kind of feedback you might get from beta readers in many senses.

You don't have to want all three types of editing in order to contract my services for, say, just one, but developmental editing on its own will be by negotiation, and likely be an hourly fee rather than a per word cost. You also can't have line editing without copy editing, as it would be impossible to make sure it's effectively-written without making sure it's correct. (You can have copy editing without line editing, however.)

Do you accept works from people whose first language is something other than English?

Yes, this is not a mitigating factor for me. I've worked on some pieces by French- and Brazilian Portuguese-speaking authors before. My editing suggestions come with explanations of why I'm making them, so it should be clear even for ESL authors what I'm suggesting and for what reason. I'm not a translator (unless you're talking about from Akkadian or Sindarin), but as long as you're capable of having a conversation in English, we should be fine.

How should I format my files for you to work on? And how will I get them to you/receive them back?

The two most preferable options are either in a Word Document, or a GoogleDoc document, as these formats both allow me to highlight parts of the work and comment on it directly so that you can see my suggestions. Any other format will make the whole process difficult for both of us as it will require cross-referencing between your work and my responses.

It doesn't have to be formatted in any fancy way, though - as long as it's in the document and readable, even just via basic copy/paste from wherever else you write, that's fine.

We can exchange the files via email or discord, whichever makes you feel more comfortable.

Do you accept jobs unrelated to interactive fiction?

Yes! I've edited novels and short stories before as well, and done work specifically providing developmental editing on outlines so that authors can feel they have a well fleshed-out plan before they begin writing. It's just that there's not many editors out there who are familiar with the IF scene, so that's my marketing focus, so to speak.

You write using British spellings... do you know how to edit for American spellings, too?

Yes, I know how to edit for AusE and AmE as well as BrE. Many authors also use a combination of multiple spelling systems, which I can work with as long as you let me know your style and parameters.

My game is written in the style of Shakespeare... can you handle that?

Individual style, both affected and inherent, is not really a roadblock for most editors. The job of a good editor is to consider each author's personal style and make sure to respect it, rather than try to overwrite it with their own voice, so if you're writing a Tolkienian or Arthurian or epic poetry piece, I'm capable of working with that as long as you let me know what you're aiming for beforehand.

If you have a style guide with particular specifications, feel free to submit it along with your documents, and I'll abide by its specifications. I've worked on projects ranging from high fantasy to scifi to modern fiction in the past.

Can I break my writing up into multiple parts to give to you over time?

Sure! All of the interactive fiction work I've done thus far has been chapter-by-chapter, and you can break it down smaller if you like. However, I can't necessarily bring forward developmental editing concerns from one job into another at peak reliability, particularly if a long period of time has passed between the different jobs.

That's probably all for the FAQs for now - if you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out and ask!

Pricing

How much the editing will cost is based on the length of what you would like me to edit, split up into three length categories: under 10k words, 10k-100k words, and over 100k words. Prices are in AUD, Australian dollars. Per-word rates round up (ie., at a rate of 1c per 5 words, 6 words would incur the cost for 10 words).

Under 10,000 words

Copy editing: 1c per word.

Line editing: a flat $15 fee on top of the price of copy editing.

Developmental editing: a flat $20 fee on top of any other costs, or an hourly fee by negotiation if without the other two services.

10,000 to 100,000 words

Copy editing: 1c per word for the first 10,000 words, followed by 1c per each 3 words for the remainder.

Line editing: a flat $30 fee on top of the price of copy editing.

Developmental editing: a flat $80 fee on top of any other costs, or an hourly fee by negotiation if without the other two services.

Over 100,000 words

Copy editing: 1c per word for the first 10,000 words, followed by 1c per each 3 words for the remainder, plus a flat $20 fee for each 100k words after the first (ie., 150,000 words will incur a $20 fee on top of the per-word price, while 250,000 words will incur $40).

Line editing: a flat $40 fee on top of the price of copy editing, rising incrementally per 100k words after the first (ie., 150,000 words will incur a $40 fee, while 250,000 words will incur $80).

Developmental editing: a flat $80 fee on top of any other costs, rising incrementally per 100k words after the first (ie., 150,000 words will incur an $80 fee, while 250,000 words will incur $160), or an hourly fee by negotiation if without the other two services.

Code-checking

If you're able to include your code with your writing (such as by viewing a proofing copy of a game via twine), and provide me with an outline of your variables and what you're using them for, I can by request check for possible errors (such as adding to a stat when it seems like it should be subtracting instead, or using a wrong or misspelled variable) for a flat fee of $80 per 100,000 words (in this case, the code is included in the wordcount, since I'll be checking it).

Outline Help

If you want me to look over an outline or plan and provide developmental feedback before you begin writing, this can be done for an hourly fee by negotiation.

Thank you again for reading! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

[nocturnalazure]

📩 Simblr question of the day: Do you have a process for making your simblr posts?

answer in whatever way is most comfortable for you and feel free to share this SQOTD around, make sure to use the hashtag SQOTD and tag me in separate posts ~ 💛

This question was contributed by an anon in @simblr-question-of-the-day !

Thank you so much for your ask, Anon! ❤️

I gotta say, I had first understood the question at a very basic level. 😅 How do I make a post? Well...

I queue my stuff almost immediately and I keep a few character asks and reblogs for the times when I don't have any story content to post, but I don't like having too many drafts (like, "it's right there, I have to poooooost iiiiiit 🤪").

Story posts get published between 2pm and 4pm CET, at the pace of about 2 to 4 posts per day.

The rest (photo shoots, character asks and rambles, etc) gets published either at around the same time of day or whenever I feel like it.

But now, I see that other people have answered this question by explaining their creative process. So I thought I would also explain mine (haven't I done this before?). My process is quite similar to @kimmiessimmies, but I do things in a different order.

Timeline

I have a timeline and a very messy one! It used to be only in my head, then in a Word document, and now it's finally in an Excel sheet. It includes detailed ideas about the next scenes, where I'm going to shoot them, which characters are going to be involved, some lines that I absolutely need to use, and broader musings on where the story is going within a time frame of about 8,000 years.

It's a beast that's alive and constantly mutating.

2. Set up

Setting up a scene is easy prep work. If I don't have one in mind yet, I roam about some neighborhoods for a nice shooting location. I make sure that everything is in place for the next scenes: dressing up Sims, adding some story-related decor items, looking up CC if I miss something important, making sure I got all the characters I need in the same household and teleporting them on the lot I'm going to shoot in.

3. Pose selection / Shooting

Whenever I can summon enough energy and inspiration, I go in game and the first thing I do is pre-select some poses for the scene I need to shoot according to my timeline. From there, I go with the flow. I need to be hyperfocused because I'm in total improv mode. I use several poses in different angles. Sometimes a specific pose/expression gives me new ideas and I go in a different direction than what I had planned. Sometimes I cannot find the exact pose/expression I want and I have to work around that. Sometimes I'm inspired, sometimes I'm not. Very often, the game crashes and I get very upset.

The dialogues start taking shape while I'm shooting.

4. Picture selection / Writing

When I have enough screenshots to write at least one scene (although I generally wait to have several scenes ready), I start writing and make a prayer to my muse that I'll remember the dialogues I had in mind while shooting. That part is both the best and the worst. The best because I can really get "in the zone", and the worst because I easily have writer's block and get stupidly stuck on a line.

Through this whole process, I use Comic Life. I select a pic, smash it into my story template, select a speech bubble and start typing. Rinse and repeat. I sometimes rewrite entire parts, changing the order of the pics. I use about 40% of the shots I take. I do very little editing, only to correct clipping or lighting. Once I feel like I have enough pics to make an update (about 150-200 - I often have to repeat steps 3 and 4 until I'm satisfied), I export everything from Comic Life in jpg format. My husband is my proof-reader. I hate re-reading my own shit at this stage because it's smeared with my tears and blood and I just want it out.

5. Posting on Tumblr

Next I prepare the Tumblr posts, adding tags and scheduling everything. I post a preview, usually a day before the queue starts. Maybe I should leave some more time between preview and first post, but I'm too impatient to wait. IT.MUST.BE.OUT.

6. Posting on WordPress

I used to prepare the WP draft post at the same time as the Tumblr scheduling, with a date set for publication on the day of the last Tumblr posts. I don't do that anymore because I make minor edits all the frigging time and I then need to update both my Tumblr queue AND my WP draft. So I prepare my WP post once my Tumblr queue has almost run out. Since I use my WP mostly for myself, to keep some sort of table of content, it wouldn't be a big deal if I ever forgot to publish and was a few days late.

Voilà!

Like I said, a lot in common with my fellow Sims storytellers but in a slightly different order! I hadn't intended to write a whole essay, yet here we are. 🙃 Apologies, I'll shut up now. 🤐

Thank you again for the ask, Nonny!

[andromedaexists]

WUPDATE: CALL ME ICARUS

𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟸𝟷𝚜𝚝 || 𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝚢'𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚖𝚎?

It's been a while since i've been around, for a couple reasons! I don't want to get too into depth on this post since "life updates??" had the least votes in the poll, but it more or less boils down to a rough start with the first half of the year. but i'm back! (hopefully for a longer period of time this time!)

y'all wanted to hear what was going on with our resident Mess™️ and boy do i have some news to share:

Firstly, we're coming up on one year of Icky baby being in the world! I can't believe we're approaching October already, it's like just yesterday I released that ball of messed up morals onto the world!

Speaking of book 1 being released, it's currently half off on my itch.io for pride month! due to my health complications and all that i haven't really been promoting this sale but i would like to push it a little bit before the end of the month!

that brings us on to the other end of CMI announcements: book 2 information

I am still focusing the majority of my attention on finishing Desecrate and getting Incorrect Eyes ready for publication, but I wanted to let y'all know that I have started drafting CMI book 2. I already made an intro post about it a while ago, but ΔΙΑΦΘΟΡΆ has started to take shape! I've shared a handful of lines with the Shit Show as they've come to be, and soon y'all will see them too as i start filling up my queue with tags that i've missed in really the past year (i have a lot to catch up on!)

I think the most exciting part of the drafting process for me has been getting to incorporate my own pain back into a story. I forgot how much of a crutch CMI was for that on my end. Sure, Kit may be a great way for me to process emotional pain, and Hunter may be great for writing about my mental illnesses and all, but Icarus? Icky baby has always been the way that I process physical pain. And hoo boy have I been in a lot of that recently! He's not having a great time right now!

Finally, i'm just gonna leave this screenshot from discord to really drive home how the drafting of book 2 is going:

(thank you @written-in-starlight for your kind contribution to my fuckery)

hi hello so you clicked on the keep reading button, you might as well get a treat for that! here are the snippies that illicited these responses:

Achilles wakes up first, adorably wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his—or is that Icarus’?—hoodie. He looks up at Icarus, the exhaustion and residual grumpiness of being woken up being chased away by unbridled happiness as he practically yells, “He’s awake!” He doesn’t stay in bed, jumping to the ground and rushing out into the living room as the words leave his mouth. Apollon takes longer to rouse, grumbling and trying to go back to sleep by curling around Icarus’ waist and pressing his face into his stomach. Icarus smiles down at him, a surprisingly genuine small smile, one that holds years worth of carefully hidden love and affection. He takes a moment to look at Apollon in a way he hasn’t had the chance to since the blond showed up in his apartment. Apollon has grown a lot in their time apart, that much was obvious. He is all harsh angles, sharp edges where Icarus distinctly remembers soft curves that he always loved to trace. He looks good, despite looking less human than ever. An effect of the Elysian Program, no doubt, looking like a spectre that has known never-ending stress for the past 10 years instead of love and care. His olive skin is glowing, his hair splayed out on Icarus’ charcoal sheets like a golden halo. His face is soft with sleep, his lips slightly parted and oh so tantalizing. They look soft, Icarus knows they’re soft. He reaches a hand up, moving to touch them but diverting at the last moment to reach up to his own cracked and dry lips. He wishes he had the chance to see his person grow into this gorgeous man, wishes that he could have ever had a chance to exist at his side.

and (this one is very rough, like this is still in my outline level of detail kinda rough)

Apollon uses Icarus’ neck as a chew toy on the one side, biting down hard as Icarus moans, bucking his hips up into Apollon’s. Icarus knots his hand in Apollon’s hair, tugging hard on the blonde strands, trying to re-gain dominance. Apollon growls at that, biting down hard again before saying “You are mine.” Icarus pushes Apollon’s hips forward as he backs against them again, getting so incredibly turned on by the possessiveness. That is, until he whispers in agreement, saying “I’m yours.” Then, Apollon pulls away, wiping his mouth as he looks down on Icarus with disdain or disgust. A sneer on his lips as he turns away and says “I thought you said I didn’t own you.”

ANYWHO thanks for checkin out this update! I can't wait to talk more about book 2 as it takes form!! I'm hoping to have it ready to go in 2026 at the latest, if not ready to publish by the end of 2025!

TAGLIST

@flowerprose @isherwoodj @cream-and-tea @touchingmadness

@lockejhaven @marinesocks @wildswrites @the-finch-address

@leighvalentin @inkspellangel @outpost51 @love-whatit-loves

@xoberryblush @bebewrites @365runesoftheamalgamations

Please fill out this form to be added or ask to be removed!

[elizatronicwarfare]

How The Sausage Is Made:

An Explainer For New Readers

At first glance, Forge Of Destiny looks like a regular novella series on Amazon with a new installment every 6-12 months, but underneath the surface is an audience-participation choose-your-own-adventure releasing 3 new chapters a week - if you wish, you can join the rest of the audience in voting on Ling Qi's actions.

The big picture is Destiny Cycle: the collective term for the books you are reading, including Forge Of Destiny, Threads Of Destiny, and any future installments. All three volumes of Forge and the first two volumes of Threads are available as of this writing. There's audiobook versions available as well.

Royal Road The books on Amazon are first published chapter-by-chapter on Royal Road, a website that hosts writing by independent authors. All chapters here are free to read, and no account is required. Royal Road's most recent chapter is always ahead of the bound volumes on Amazon, as it takes time for them to be collected and edited together into books by volunteers.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21188/forge-of-destiny

Sufficient Velocity Each Royal Road chapter is itself first released on Sufficient Velocity, a web forum designed for roleplaying text adventure games - and this is because Destiny Cycle is actually played as a turn-based roleplaying text adventure, where the audience votes every few days on Ling Qi's major decisions. Ling Qi has stats, equipment, and even makes dice rolls to determine uncertain outcomes. If you are familliar with the term, Destiny Cycle is a quest thread.

Sufficient Velocity's most recent chapter is always ahead of Royal Road, as it takes time for each one to be proofread, edited, and brought up to RR's standards. If you want to read the story as it is being written, and help shape it, then this is the place to read along. All chapters here are free to read, but voting requires an account.

https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/threads-of-destiny-eastern-fantasy-sequel-to-forge-of-destiny.51431/

Omakes Fans can also submit writing or art (called "omake") that take place in Destiny Cycle to the Sufficient Velocity thread. If Yrs likes it, he'll add it to the "Apocrypha" list of worthy fanwork. If he really likes it, it'll be added to "Sidestories" instead and become part of the Destiny Cycle canon until further notice. Readers are awarded points for either of these two merits, which can be spent on improving the odds of Ling Qi's dicerolls.

The Discord This is the "official" centralised discussion space for all forms of Destiny Cycle, including spoiler-free channels for those keeping pace with Royal Road. Fans catching up to the most recent chapters are still encouraged to join - everyone loves to see the reactions of someone reading Destiny Cycle for the first time.

https://discord.com/invite/bc8bKZM

The Wiki This is the up-to-date repository of lore and character information for the series, such as character portraits, cultivation spreadsheets, and maps.

https://forgeofdestiny.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page

Commissions Yrsillar also does writing on a commission basis, with prices currently ranging from USD$55 to $80 depending on the piece. Most fans commission small Destiny Cycle stories that get added to the "Sidestories" collection on Sufficient Velocity. As of this writing, the queue is over a year long (he's very popular with fans) and listed on the discord.

Patreon Readers can support Yrsillar with monthly money via Patreon, gaining a special discord role and early access to both commissions and Royal Road chapters.

[muzzlemouths]

Dead Mall Dare [The Golden Years]

A moment that occurs before the events of Chapter 1.

There's a showing at the Waning Lights theater, and Moon is more than happy to host the event - but things don't always go according to plan.

Wordcount: 2223

It was rare treat when the Waning Lights theater had a showing. Not just any showing, either; a special feature, Saturday Night Fever, viewed on the big screen for one night only. The event drew in crowds from surrounding counties and promised to be a truly unforgettable night.

Customarily, the theater’s very own mascot lead the scene. Moon stood just beyond the entrance, velvet rope sat aside, delighting in nothing more than gesturing the queue through the two crescented doors with a handshake and a smile that reached both corners of the mouth.

Folks piled in by the dozens and left only stragglers, concession connoisseurs and parents who did away with their children by slipping coins into their pockets and ushering them towards the mall’s plentiful list of other things to do, the candy shop and playground being notable favorites.

A particularly bratty shaver caught Moon’s attention as he was headed inside, causing him to pause at the door, ever briefly, before he returned to the outer lobby and came upon the family - mom, dad, and the wailing child, giving his parents a good deal of grief - and crouched down to his level, fitting him with a stern look. “Now what has you in such a fit?” Asked Moon, calm as a clam.

“Oh, don’t let us keep you,” the mother, shame behind her eyes, sighed with exasperation, “he’s only upset with having to miss the show.”

“He’ll miss dinner and a day without chores, too, if he doesn’t shape up,” chimed the father, looking thin in the lips.

“Is that so?” Now, Moon wasn’t a hit with the kids. He catered to the night crowd, business men with a schedule chalked full and youth on the crisp of adulthood who fancied a quieter time and fewer distractions during their visits - it was Sun who carried on conversations with the tots and blew balloons to keep the kids happy and the parents happier - but it was Moon who knew his way around the fussier ones. Though his methods were questionable.

“Well, we could let you in to see the film,” he mused, finger tapping against his lip in thought. Both parents shared a bug-eyed expression, obviously against such an idea, but Moon continued, “though I must say I’m surprised, I didn’t expect anyone your age to want anything to do with a pair cutting the rug,” he watched the boy’s face turn sour and carried on with the wave of a hand and a perfect poker smile, “and I suppose a growing boy like yourself won’t mind the kissing, either.”

His tantrum came to a grinding halt. “The…kissing?”

“Well of course!” Said Moon, resting an elbow on his knee and his chin into his palm, “This story doesn’t end before the star finds himself a pretty lady and warms her up with a kiss. Isn’t that romantic?” He waited. It didn’t take long. The child’s entire posture sank with disappointment and he turned to look up at his parents with a face of utter betrayal, “Or,” Moon called him back to attention with a hand that dipped behind the child’s ear, and away from it he pulled a silver coin - Sun’s face on one side, his own on the other - and slipped it into the boy’s hand with a wink, "you could get lost in a few games until your parents are done.”

The little boy answered with an eager nod and a polite thanks at his mother’s behest, menace easily turned moppet, and scurried off towards the arcade without further argument. Problem solved and with minimal fuss to boot. And just in time, too. Moon beckoned the couple inside right as the screen came to life, a coca-cola commercial beginning the next ten minutes of pre-film entertainment.

A few minutes in and the smell of warm butter and popcorn steam wafted through the room, paper bags worth a handful tucked into one another, pinned against stacks of Mars Men and liquorice twists and all crammed into a wide mouthed wooden box that Moon brought to every row with a flare of glamour, ensuring that each guest in their allocated seat was happy and fulfilled. Behind him the speakers sang with the melody of a brand, giddy voices chiming ‘mix it up, wrap it up, Buttercup is born!’ and boasting a king-sized cup.

It wasn’t until the intro came to an end that Moon left the crowd if only to climb the star coated stairs all the way to the projection booth to personally insure the film began smoothly. Sure enough, the booth’s worker was already having some trouble with the reel. This wasn’t unusual - the projectors weren’t what they used to be, and Waning Lights had been due for a new one since the year prior. The theater’s budget was all tied up elsewhere, management said, and Moon never found it in himself to complain. It was nothing he couldn’t fix in a pinch.

A few precise taps - clearly practiced - knocked the machine back into functioning order, and the reel slipped into its frame with ease. Static formed, then a light, and finally the screen came alive with the opening number. Moon found a chair of his own beside the projector and settled in to enjoy the movie.

Twenty-eight minutes in and things were just starting to heat up when a customer began causing a ruckus. This, too, wasn’t unusual. There were always interruptions in the theater - whispers amongst the crowd and walkouts, or the occasional pair of teenagers who thought they were being sneaky, but this was different. An uproar created from the belly of a drunkard whose vulgar speech competed for volume with the film itself.

This, of course, meant he had to go. The poor projection booth employee wearily found their way to their feet only for Moon to set a hand on their shoulder, standing himself, “I’ll take care of it,” he promises smoothly, “offer the guests more refreshments - on the house.” He waits for the affirming nod, then sets his sights on the man below.

It took all of two minutes for him to be escorted down the theater’s hall and out towards the lobby - all the while Moon soothed his angry prattles with a patient voice and a polite, but firm hand - unfortunately, they don’t entirely make it there. Not ten feet from the exit and the man whipped around, fist raised high, intent on making a scene. Moon wasn’t having any of it. “Sir, you need to leave,” he gave the man a second chance, hoping he might see reason, “you’re causing a disturbance. If you don’t leave on your own, I’ll have to–”

He caught the first throw, easily avoiding the attack. But not the second. A harsh shove against Moon’s shoulders drove him into the wall, the force of it enough to jostle a poster from its place, the wooden frame splintering open on impact.

Moon’s posture changed immediately, manners somewhat forgotten as his system recalculated an appropriate response. The situation was growing dangerous. He pulled himself away from the wall, dented where his joints met plaster, and dusted the fibers from his silicone, retaining utmost composure even now, “Sir,” his head felt funny, static snow dancing in his field of vision, but he’s nothing if not forgiving, “I’ll ask one more time before escorting you from the mall’s premises entirely. Please leave the theater and–”

Again, the man aimed his fist, rage in his eyes and steam erupting from his nostrils, not looking to play nice - but Moon was faster. He caught it by the wrist, long fingers wound in a vice hold. His world swayed and swam. A new protocol slithered into his coding when he wasn’t looking. Then there was a crunch, followed by a scream.

He doesn’t know how it happened. One minute he’s holding his own against this rowdy patron and the next, he was holding him up by a broken wrist, his fingers still bruising around the joint. Then came the security. Alerted by the pained shriek, no doubt, they marched through the theater in a pair and took the customer away by his folded arms. The man’s incessant howling turned every head in the theater, then all eyes fell to Moon, still trying to make sense of it all.

The employee, who appeared at his side a moment later, outstretched a hand to his shoulder much in the same way Moon had a few minutes prior. “Are you alright?” They asked him, thinly veiled distress in their voice, “I heard the commotion from upstairs. Did he hurt you?”

The question caught him off guard. Did the man hurt him? No, certainly not.

“I need to clear my head,” said Moon, avoiding the topic entirely, and he didn’t wait for an answer, either.

Moon recoiled from the touch without another word and strode a far ways from the exits, finding himself inside a photo booth.

With the curtain being pulled taut, he let his head fall to his hands, and a deep exhale escaped. A worrying feeling washed over him like spiders dancing on his skin, creeping along with legs like pins and needles. He found himself nauseated and dizzy, steam sweltered inside his chest and rose to form beads of sweat - that is, condensation - and a hand arrived at his mouth a second later to prevent himself from losing stomach oil.

He heaved, dry and ugly, for a full minute without interruption.

Then the curtains came away with a quickness so jarring it snapped him clear out of his daze.

Moon squinted into the sudden burst of light, and Sun stared back, a look of concern crossing his features. “Are you alright?” He asked, frantic.

His mind flashed to the employee asking that exact question and immediately he remembered his sickness. He shuddered, forcing it down as well as he could manage, for Sun’s sake, “What are you doing here?” He forced the words past gritted teeth, “Your shift doesn’t start for another five hours.”

Sun straightened his back, the action enveloping Moon in his shadow, much to his counterpart’s relief. “They said something happened,” he answered, “that there was a fight, and you got knocked around pretty bad. I was worried, so–”

“I’m fine.” He interjected, the bite making Sun stiffen. There was a broiling heat running rampant in his system, a burning under his skin. He couldn’t place it - the fire, or the source of the sickness. His gears felt like they were clogged with molasses. “I’m–I’m fine,” he tried again, with a much smoother, softer tone this time. His eyes raised, his smile plastered on with it, “Thank you for worrying. I’ve got a headache, but that’s all. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

“If you’re sure…” Sun wasn’t convinced. Still, it wasn’t kind to challenge the other when he was evidently already going through it, so he let it go. For now. He paused then, thinking, then climbed fully into the booth and closed the curtain behind him. “Mind if I stay with you until then?”

“You don’t seem to be waiting for an answer either way.” Moon replied. He can’t help the way his smile relaxed into something genuine, or the way his shoulders slumped with relief as Sun crammed his way into the seat beside him. The company was nice. It eased the sickly flare somewhat.

“You know what might cheer you up?” Sun reached for the photo booth triggers, “We should take a picture! We haven’t done that in a while.”

“Sun, I don’t want to–”

“Say cheese!”

He didn’t have much time to argue. The timer clicked away and Moon, never knowing how to let him down, obliged with a roll of his eyes and a smile. Something a little silly, despite the tension boiling under his fingertips. The printer spit their photograph into his hand a minute later.

“That’s a good one,” said Sun, “we should hang it up in our room.”

Moon nodded, thumb pressed against the smooth film. He didn’t recognize the Moon in that picture.

They sat in perfect silence for some time after this. Moon with his head on Sun’s shoulder, and Sun’s head on top of his, the rays retracted where his faceplate brushed against the hat.

Eventually, Moon was able to return to his theater, but something had shifted. Something was unmistakably different. He caught the tail end of the movie and assured the other employees that he was alright as the final scene played out.

He remained in the booth until the credits rolled, shook the hand of each departing customer, and personally locked up once the last staff member made their way out. Then, finding his way to the middle seat in the center row, Moon sat and stared at a blank screen. He sat there until the mall closed and then opened, and dawn crawled over the horizon.

Sun had already made his way out for his morning shift after being reassured, once again, that he was alright. Moon found his way to their shared bedroom alone and got himself plugged in for the night. He would often dream in this state, but tonight he hoped they would stay away. He wanted nothing but stillness. An empty, boring sleep.

Maybe that would put this nervous feeling to rest.

[akai-anna]

HEY THERE MY LOVELY MUTUAL <3 <3 (I love when you reblog and queue my posts ur actually amazing ily so much I love reading your tags hugs hugs hugs <3 <3 <3 im in love, giggling kicking my feet everyday)

SAW THE CHARACTERS OPINION BINGO U REBLOGGED 👍 I GOTCHU

TAKAGI. BABY BOI OF DCMK (I remember seeing a poll rolling around somewhere about the most dcmk baby girl and Takagi won)

I will also have to have to ask you about Kaito HAHAH (my fav blorbo i will admit)

ok the thing is im from australia. choose an australian animal of your choice bc i am Intrigued. im not too sure how the bingo would translate though hahahah I don't think it would work very well

(feel free to also ask me anything or talk to me and about this bingo too >v0 b)

wait you know what i forgot LOL WE GOTTA HAVE THE PROTAGONIST DUO SHIN/CONE AS WELL. PLS

*LIGHTS UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE* MY DEAR MUTUAL, HI CYN, HELLO!!!!

Firstly: WE'VE NEVER TALKED BEFORE BUT LET ME TELL YOU, I WAS (still am) SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT WHEN I SAW YOU SEND IN AN ASK! Yes, I keep track and i'm always happy to see you in my activity and my dash! (I'm also really happy to see we mutually share that feeling; I relate to the giggling kicking feet sentiment a lot.) I'm happy to have this chance to interact with you, in a sense, face to face! Bless you, darling, and I'm sending hugs right back at you.

Secondly: YOU HAVE EXCELLENT TASTE AND YOU HAVE MY ETERNAL ADORATION ESPECIALLY FOR ONE TAKAGI WATARU, he always needs more love, I FREAKING ADORE THAT MAN.

Thirdly: warning notes apply, as stated in previous asks:

I tend to interpret things liberally: only my own rules apply, which means ->

I check everything that makes sense to me, even if they might seem contradictory

The Character Opinion Bingo in question

Prepare for endless ranting. And as a certain someone says: さあショーの始まりだ わ!

I. Takagi Wataru

The Babygirl and Malewife of My Heart Personal Special Tag: #takagi is a good man

Points that I feel need a little elaboration:

I am so normal about them: I use the word "normal" as a synonym for "utterly obsessed with" and "absolutely love and adore". (I don't like the word in itself, hence, the only context I use it in, is this. But that is another story.)

*puts them in a salad spinner*: as in, the salad spinner is my brain, and he keeps rotating in it at high centrifugal force.

Canon isn't real if I don't look at it and That's a solid design right there: Detco Canon is... As much as I love it, I think we can agree it has its shortcomings/issues, and one of them is coming up. These two points go hand in hand at this moment because LOOK AT HIM!!! LOOK AT HIM!!! THIS MAN IS A BABY!!! LOOK AT HIM, HE'S PERFECT!!! THE SPIKY HAIR!!! THE SHAPES!!! THE COLOUR PALETTE!!! HE'S SO CUTE!!

I resonate with this particular video: his new design in the anime (partly thanks to the general Square-and-Pointy-fication) is just... THEY HAD THE PERFECT MAN. IT'S A CRIME. Bless that he is at least still cute in the manga, even if not the same way as in the early anime. The sharp cheekbones and soft looking hair have their charm.

My point is: THIS!!!! MAN!!! IS!!! A BABY!!!!

Literally I would kiss them and I want to BITE them: he makes me go FERAL with LOVE, and makes me feel like I want to gnaw on something or eat a whole fridge or scream endlessly into a pillow. I wouldn't do it to HIM (I'll leave that to Satou Miwako), but generally, the feeling is there. (Okay, I'll be honest, I would totally give him forehead, cheek, or hair kisses.)

To close his section, have one of my favourite bits about this Baby Of A Man. That poll was absolutely right about him, THE ULTIMATE BABYGIRL (and Malewife TM).

⊱✿⊰

II. Kuroba Kaito/Kaitou KID

The Local Mischief and Chaos Bringer Personal Special Tag: #the magical agent of chaos

LOL I DIDN'T EXPECT TO GET A BINGO, EVEN WITH THE FREE SPACE HAHA

Some points are the same as for Takagi, but here is elaboration on the ones that don't match:

Bastard, A Beast Unleashed and They didn't get bullied enough: let's be real. He's an Absolute Menace. And I sort of love that about him. Highly competent (competency makes me go weak), and if that is not scary (and hot) I don't know what. And sometimes he also goes too far (lifting skirts is not okay at all, Kaito) and needs someone to put a leash on him (or kick a soccer ball at him/chase him in a classroom). I feel that sometimes he needs a bit of bullying a challenge, to think about things. And again, honesty: I love seeing him suffer a bit, I love his Panic Moments LOL. Not in a mean way. But I also love how kind he is; the baseball chapter in the MK manga has my heart, and the Clock Tower Heist, and the Red Tear chapter... Not to mention the Nightmare arc. He cares about people and making others happy. I feel I went on a tangent here. Onto the bastard bit: he CAN BE SUCH A BASTARD AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT HIM TOO. Two of my favourite bits of Bastardry from him include 1) HOW HE DISGUISED AS RAN AND HOW HE BAITED SHINICHI AT THE VERY END OF THAT ENCOUNTER and 2) THE WAY HE SENDS SHINICHI CAREENING IN THE SIDECAR LIKE IT'S NOTHING (but also Shinichi getting right back at him and setting fire to the fckin fuel.) Pure Bastard Energy.

I want their gender: I love the way he is just so free-spirited about how he dresses/disguises. And I love the thought of him and Aoko doing outfit swaps (I blame that competition in MK for these. Also look at these delightful posts on the topic).

Canon isn't real if I don't look at it: I have... issues, with canon, you could say. Like the way he has no support system, especially bothers me. I would like to see his character treated with more care (be it MK or DetCo). I live for good character development, and I crave that for him.

To close this section, have one of my favourite conversations between these two menaces of nature.

⊱✿⊰

III. Australian Animal of Choice: Koala

Fun fact: I've been in love with koalas ever since I got a keyholder plushie from relatives in Australia when I was like... in kindergarten? Or early elementary? Also don't worry, *puts on sunglasses* I wouldn't have mentioned animals, if I thought I couldn't work with them.

Elaboration is needed here I feel.

I am so normal about them: I'm not as obsessed as I used to be but I'm eternally fond of koalas. Did you know their fingerprints are so similar to us they could be mistaken for human fingerprints? Or how they spend most of their time sleeping because the eucalyptus they consume is toxic? Or how they can actually swim well? Or how they are literally surviving by being Dumb As Shit because Being Dumb Saves Energy? Yeah, I'm totally normal about them.

*projects onto them like a mf* and I want their gender: Oh to be a koala, just existing, sleeping, sometimes waking up to eat some eucalyptus, then going right back to sleep. I want that.

That's a solid design right there: HAVE YOU SEEN THEM? SO FLUFFY LOOKING!!! WITH BIG CLAWS!!! THE BIG NOSE!!! SO SHAPED!!! NOT TO MENTION THE EARS!!!

They are so silly and They Sure Do Exist: how did this animal even come into existence? Weird lil creatures. THEY ARE JUST SO SILLY. THE NOISES THE MAKE. Like oh my god.

Literally I would kiss them: THEY JUST LOOK SO SOFT, HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME NOT TO BURY MY FACE IN THE FUR?

⊱✿⊰

IV. Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan

*Prof Agasa voice* He has many nicknames, like Gremlin Child, Absolute Menace, Ultimate Baby, Lil Nerd, Walking Encyclopedia Son, or Disaster Child. I think I call him as many names as I do my dear Rosie, so that is quite telling LMAO Personal Special Tag: #the detective gremlin

HDSBSKDB DOUBLE BINGO (AND ALMOST 4 BC HE'S ALSO DET'S FAV, SO ALMOST CROSSED OUT PROXY TOO KSJNVKSVNJS OK, my love for him is showing, I guess)

EDIT: FCKIN TRIPLE BINGO AS @vampirecatsw POINTED OUT oh my god, I'm blind

Again, some thoughts on relevant bits.

*projects onto them like a mf*: THIS CHILD IS SO FCKIN NEURODIVERGENT, AND I FCKIN RELATE, ALSO HE LOVES AND CARES SO DEEPLY IT HURTS AND I RELATE SO HARD.

A Beast Unleashed: another MENACE OF NATURE. You cannot let him roam free, he finds trouble like it's Breathing. Also love it when he goes ballistic. Or when he shows how competent he is. Like GOD. HE'S AMAZING, and he's a danger to criminals and himself, mostly.

Everyone else if wrong about them: not EVERYONE, just... some people. We agreed with a friend that some of our issues in portrayal lies with the fandom sort assigning him traits that Hakuba has, but not Shinichi (Hakubification). Of course, people can have their fun with it, but it's not for me and have my own opinions on the matter.

Canon isn't real if I don't look at it: again, DetCo has issues. Like the lack of continuity/ erased character development, or not bringing up issues ever again, and the like. Early DetCo was GOOD at these, and I miss those times.

That's a solid design right there and I fuck with this aesthetic so hard: HE IS!!!! SO SHAPED!!!!! SO ROUND!!! (or at least used to be) THE GENTLE CURVES OF HIS FACE!!! THE SILLY HAIR!!!! NOT TO MENTION HIS FCKIN WARDROBE!!!! I'M OBSESSED WITH HIM!!! Also, I have a huge thing for blue eyes and dark hair combination, not to mention the glasses... I'm fckin weak for glasses... god. He just hits all the right spots in my heart and brain. (Not to mention his personality, I WANT TO CRY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH-)

They didn't get bullied enough: I live for others teasing Gremlin Child. It's not quite bullying (never HURT HIM FOR REAL, I'LL CRY), but he needs to be TEASED MORE FOR SURE. I guess Bastardry also fits into this, that's good too.

SQUEAK: sometimes he is just so DUMB I want to SQUISH HIM HARD OR SHAKE HIM. I LOVE HIM, I SO DO, even if he is an idiot at times. God. I love him.

Literally I would kiss them and I want to BITE them: HIS CHEEKS ARE SO PERFECTLY ROUND I WANT TO CHOMP ON THEM. ALSO ALL THE KISSES TO HIM!!!!! BABY BOY!!!! GIVE HIM ALL THE KISSES!!!! AND HUGS TOO!!!

Bastard: the way he FCKS WITH SOME CRIMINALS. OH MY GOD. THE WAY HE IS SOMETIMES A MENACE ON PURPOSE. THE WAY HE SOMETIMES GETS SO ANNOYED HE JUST GOES FOR HIS WATCH. Also the way he is an absolute bastard to KID. His attitude is just so. *chef kiss* Love a menace of a child, HE'S AMAZING. HIS RAZOR SHARP SMIRK, THE MISCHIEVOUS CHILD FACE.

I have way too many favourite bits related to this boi. So. Have these random screencaps from my DCMK folder.

I hope you have fun reading this madness, Cyn! I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST, YOU HAVE MY ETERNAL LOVE, may you have an absolutely blessed day, dear.

[katiethekwasolover101]

Link to Chapter 3 (for those who haven’t seen it):

Sorry if this sneak peek is becoming too boring (please, PLEASE tell me if this is the case, and how I can make it not so boring - this is my first fanfic series, so I only want to improve). :/

The Heroes of Aeseganora: Part 2 - The Protection Of The Core

Chapter 4: Ruins Of A Broken World

As soon as everyone came through the portal conjured up by the Spirits of the Old Heroes, they all froze in shock.

Aeseganora was a mess - it looked as if a violent cyclone had hit it. Many of the buildings in the towns and cities were wrecked, windows and doors had been smashed, shops and stalls broken, their ruins lying upon the ground.

A Labrador dog hurriedly packed away trinkets that were scattered on the ground by the dry fountain - glancing as though they were terrified of the Octonauts and Octo-Agents, who wondered if it was because they had been seen coming through the portal.

Of course, it was unusual from creatures from the Earth to be travelling to other worlds such as Aeseganora, but the Octonauts were well-known now since they restored the Oca-Tree; the people of Aeseganora praised them all greatly for that.

Things had obviously changed.

Ollum looked north and let out a gasp of horror. The Octonauts followed his gaze, and they all stared at the horrible sight before them.

The Ocalihalla Palace was unrecognisable - black with soot and streaked with ash, windows broken into pieces, and the stone crumbled into ruins. Notices were propped up on the difficult stairs warning people not to enter the palace.

“Oh no,” Ollum said, his voice grave and dry. “The Oullen have already been here. We’re too late.”

“Wow,” Ranger Marsh exclaimed, as he looked at the Palace. “I’ve been used to dealing with wildfires back in the Everglades, but this seems to have done more damage to this town than all of them combined.”

“They’ve set the palace on fire?” Peso asked shakily, as a few other crew members covered their mouths in horror.

“That, and the Slaves’ Association over there. One of many things that they do,” Ollum replied, as his eyes fell upon the Slaves’ Association building, which looked even worse than the palace. “They do not like peace or harmony of any sort, so they wipe it all out.”

At that moment, everyone became concerned for their Aeseganoran friends - Vivi, Gary, the Slaves, Captain Felix and his crew - they needed to find them all, and make sure they were OK before they would set out to find the Core.

They all went straight into town and headed down the street to a place that Ollum had recommended visiting in a crisis - the Ocalihallan Citizen’s Salvation Centre, which sat like a star which shone brighter than any of the others in a dark night sky.

There were columns on the front of the building, all of which were carved with their own different patterns and shapes. As they stepped closer, they also noticed a white flag violently fluttering on a pole, with a first aid plus sign sewn onto it in a black thread.

They all quickly walked up the steps and pushed the doors open, and almost immediately, their ears were assaulted with noise. The entrance hall of the Salvation Centre was in chaos. The Octonauts and Octo-Agents all expected a police station of some sort, but instead, there was some sort of makeshift hospital in one corner, with beds and hanging sheets hiding patients from view. There were a few desks with Centre officers sitting at them, and a queue of Ocalihalla residents zigzagging the whole room waiting to see them.

Some residents were arguing with each other in raised voices almost becoming tearful, and a few others were slumped against the walls like toys at a tea party. Some were writing in books and journals, at desks and on the floor, while others were repairing items of clothing, with children sliding on the slippery glossy floorboards and playing swords with sticks.

To sum it all up, it was just absolute chaos - but at least it was the kind where you knew that it was better than not having it at all.

They saw a green sign on the wall with a script in Aulornan which none of them could read, except for Ollum - he knew that it meant Slaves, and they followed an arrow on the sign pointing around a corner.

They didn’t have to go too far - down two sets of steps was a desk, which sat crookedly in the middle of the corridor, with a brown bear who looked in his late thirties or early forties, typing on a computer with a frown on his face. There was a handwritten sign propped next to the computer, which identified the Slave as ‘High Lord Jezoldra’.

Ollum cleared his throat. “Excuse me, High Lord?”
The Slave looked up at him and then at the Octonauts and Octo-Agents with horrified eyes. “What in Aeseganora…”

“We’re friends,” Barnacles said quickly, as he looked at his crew. “We know Patricia Pinecrestach. Myself and my crew also banished Brone, Innes and all the other Upper Class Slaves.”

The new High Lord stood up. Although he was a few inches taller than Ollum, he had an expression on his face which made him seem like someone not to upset in any way. He had dark brown hair tied up in a high ponytail which fell down to his feet. Unlike Brone, who had worn mainly dark-coloured clothes, Jezoldra wore garments that were the same as the other Slaves - a billowing hooded cloak, coloured emerald green, tightened at the waist with a bronze sash like a dressing gown.

“I know who you are, Octonauts,” he said in a deep voice, as he saw the Octo-Agents. “And friends of yours.”

“We’re Octo-Agents,” Paani introduced them, and the others murmured in agreement. “I am Paani, and this is Pearl, Tracker, Min, Ryla, Natquik, Calico Jack, Marsh, Selva and Bud.”

“We are so sorry that this has happened.” Dashi said, soft and concerned.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Pearl asked.

“Aye,” Shellington said. “Who did this to you?”

Jezoldra sniffed angrily. “We still don’t understand it ourselves,” he said. “You’re looking for Patricia, right? Follow me, she’s this way.”

He led them all past another makeshift hospital and down a hallway to a room where a group of Slaves, who all looked worse for wear, were sat together around a big table, eating, writing and talking.

They came to one table, where the Octonauts saw a familiar face, who turned at Jezoldra’s approach, and before they knew it, Patricia was hugging each Octonaut tightly, sobbing on their shoulders.

When they finally separated, they noticed that Patricia’s cloak was larger than her old one - it had clearly been borrowed. There was also a few bandages on her right arm, with a squishy one on her left arm, which they guessed was made of gel - she had been burned.

Almost immediately, guilt flew through them. What had happened here?

As if echoing their thoughts, Ollum spoke. “Can you tell us what happened?” he asked in the same gentle tone as Dashi, acknowledging that she was clearly distressed.

Patricia looked to Jezoldra, who gestured for them all to follow him to a private space where they all sat on the floor. He nodded at Patricia, and then she began.

“They were seen in the town a few weeks ago. They came to us, told us they were some of Ollum’s Travellers, studying different places in Aeseganora. They even gave us crystals and jewels, along with some sweets, and seemed like kind people, so when they asked us for help, we helped them.”

“What did they need your help with?” Barnacles asked.

“They told us they were logging the progress of magical energy, now that the Oca-Tree was restored,” Jezoldra explained. “At first, they were interested in seeing how the Tree converted magic into energy for the world.”

“We thought that was pretty harmless,” said Patricia. “But then they began asking us questions about where the likes of Brone, Innes, Raquel were, along with all the others that you banished out of this world.”

“Hold on - the Oullen were looking for Brone and his crowd?” Kwazii asked, looking to Ollum and his grandfather. “Why in the seven seas would they wanna do that?”

“I have no idea,” Calico Jack replied, looking to Ollum. “Do you?”

“Well, I think it is safe to assume that the Oullen were hunting for someone - all for what is a good reason to them.” Ollum said, grimly.

“Can I ask if this Brone fella had always lived here in Aeseganora?” Calico Jack asked.

“No,” said Patricia. “He and his gang came from one of the other worlds, but no one knows where exactly.”

Inkling’s mouth tightened. “They might have been escaping the Oullen.”

“I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there, Inkling,” Ollum nodded his head. “Back when you Octonauts met him, he was extremely keen to escape Aeseganora without any trace. He said there was more at stake than we knew.”

“Well, it looks like he was right.” Shellington replied.

Jezoldra snorted. “These Oullen, if that’s what they were, didn’t believe that we couldn’t locate Brone and his gang. When we continued to tell them that, they just became aggressive - using their powers against us and the whole town. It’s only fortunate that we released all the woven magic back into the world on your instruction. If they’d had any access to more, goodness knows what more damage might have been done.”

“It wasn’t just Brone they were after, either,” Patricia sniffed, wiping her eyes. “They were also looking for Captain Felix and his crew. We sent a Slave to their docks to warn them, but they had disappeared - along with the Damsel’s Dagger and the Barnacles’ Bay. And there was something else that they wanted.”

“The Core,” Ollum said, his face going white as he wrung his hands together with extreme anxiety. “They’re looking for it. I said this to the Octonauts and Octo-Agents.”

Everybody murmured and nodded their heads at that.

“Well, by the sounds of things, we should go and search for this Core,” Min said.

“Of course - there’s no time to lose or to waste,” Bud agreed. “Right, Captain?”
“You’re right,” Barnacles replied. “We must put a stop to this before the Oullen strike again.”

As soon as they were all about to leave, Patricia stopped them.

“If you need us, just get a message to us and we’ll do whatever we can,” she said, giving a tense smile. “We’ve all got Gates, so if we can help, we will. Be safe, won’t you?”
“We’ll be OK,” Dashi reassured their friend, giving her paw a tight squeeze. “We promise.”

[funkydancingdinosaur]

So I come out of my cave, finally having finished my gotg oc reference, and I learn that @raccoonfallsharder is doodling OCs? I hope I'm not too late to this party <:^) but also, it's okay if your queue is too long now, haha. I wouldn't blame ya. There's a lot of really cool and fun ocs in the gotg fandom ^>^.

Still, I'm silly and like to talk about my ocs so infodump under the read more.

If I may humbly introduce Tadoria. Though, she usually goes by just Dori and uses they/she pronouns. On the left is what they look like when not shape-shifted aka their true form. On the right, that's what she usually looks like while working their bounty hunter/informant job because she's a bit paranoid about being hunted. They're technically the result of the High Evolutionary’s failed attempt at “perfecting” a shapeshifter race. Long story short, he failed because he never figured out how to erase their tell (they've got bioluminescent amber eyes that never shapeshift with them, hence the colored glasses), and messed with their genetic makeup too much, the race became unable to reproduce. Then he went and tried to wipe them out to erase his failure.

Anyway, she stumbles into the occasional work partnership, messy friendship with Rocket - and by extension, Groot - about 2-ish years before the Guardians are formed because they’re also a bit of a smartass and - while slower at building than Rocket is - build decent heavy artillery. Also, she collabs with him about once or twice a month to give him information about a bounty, get him a weapon commission, or just get into some form of trouble with him in pursuit of units.

Rocket and Groot are actually one of the few people to meet them as themself as opposed to their bounty hunter persona/front they put on. After realizing they don't know her species, she hides being a shapeshifter for months after they meet because she hasn't had the best experiences regarding who and what she is, lol. Also, while they have fun playing into people expecting her to be sneaky as a shapeshifter and being a bounty hunter/thief/information dealer, what they actually want to do is design and build things. They're also just obsessed with the mechanics of how spaceships fly. Y'know the labeling cars in posts blog? They're like that about spacecraft. They built their own ship out of stolen parts from ship models she liked but also they're not as intuitively good with engineering as Rocket so it's being held up by, as he says, duct tape and hope. Most of her engineering skills are self-taught, and the number of times she's electrocuted herself is too many.

Their more humanoid design is based on retro-futurism, saloon girls (the way they speak is as if a southern belle cursed like a sailor), and femme fatales, while their more jerboa/chameleon-based alien design is meant to show off Dori's more troublemaking mechanic side.

[spiritelectric3]

My journey through Homestuck: Act 1

The gods have chosen me to experience the horrors of Homestuck. I have chosen to do so via comic dub (specifically the Void Over Nexus dub). Here are my takes:

-Okay, I'm still in the kid's bedroom and they are already introducing such complicated mechanics. -16 minutes in and he's finally left his room. I'm so glad I didn't read this or it would have taken forever -I'll admit, so far, this does make me feel kinda nostalgic for my childhood. It has an attitude that was common for comic books and cartoons of the 2000s, but has gone away. Reminds me a lot of picking up random comic books from the library as a kid and reading them over and over. -With some deeper thought, too, this is a pretty accurate description of what it's like to have free time as a kid, how you kind of just goof off doing whatever, but somehow it all feels important. Sort of like how the Lord of the Rings dedicates a lot of pages to walking so that the reader gets a similar feeling to the characters. -Plus, from what I know from the plot, this is kind of an actually good way to set up a story like this. John's home is important, so the work spends time on it. It's annoying that it takes awhile, but that's why we have comic book dubs. -okay, tbh, this is a pretty accurate depiction of what (neurodivergent?) childhood thinking is like, at least for my own childhood -okay, so more on the neurodivergent thinking thing: I love how well the comic integrates strange system but shifts the reader's mindset towards the world of the series well. It reminds me of how I end up seeing the world differently based on my current hyperfixation -also unrelated, but I thought Stacks were first in first out and Queues were first in last out -wait, how is this inventory system different!? -thought on the language: I think the descriptions thus far are kind of hit or miss. It's a hit when we get detailed poetic descriptions of childhood mentality. It's a miss when it becomes so long and pedantic that I can't make heads nor tails of it. -Is TT… psychic!?

-I love how no one in this series can handle simply having a human body so they need inventories and the ability to move things long distance. Honestly same (oh god I'm beginning to think like the writing style) -okay, this is just what it's like to play an overly complicated video game for the first time, just in semi-literary form -I'm kind of terrified of what's gonna happen to the second person narrator later on -Why are John's eyes shaped like glasses lenses if he doesn't wear them? -I love how ominous Sberb is quickly becoming -…OH. I think I'm beginning to realize how this became a massive influence on all media in the 2010s+ -This is the moment where I am wondering if I should turn back, already realizing that it is too late -Honestly, I can already see how someone could write a paper on how this series fundamentally redefines thought, in and of itself -why does this series make me want to play Run 2 on coolmathgames.com? -this is legitimately like non-cyperpunk cyberpunk -I'll admit that for all that's been happening the meteor is kind of a weird uptick in stakes -Ah, that's what happens to the second person voice -I love how the narrator's personality shifts to match Rose's -Seeing Rose get introduced this late feels like during a first dnd session when your the last character to be introduced at the end of the session -Rose's captchalogue is pretty based -okay, I'm gonna say it. Rose is a much more entertaining character than john. She's like if Susie Derkins had a wilder imagination -Wait… WHAT THE FUCK!?

Overrall I'd say, yeah this is pretty slow. In this format it's honestly worse when they're playing the game than when John is just doing stuff in his house. Those earlier sections almost made me tear up. They didn't, but they got close. I think there is a childlike joythat encapsulates this series thus far, and has been the majority of the charm

[elsanna-shenanigans]

November/October 2023 Contest Submission #3: The Best of Luck Club

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: Alcohol consumption, cheating mention  

Note: this story is disqualified from voting due to not meeting the theme of the prompt. It can still be reviewed by the MRC.

xxxx

Anna stared down at the last text she’d sent. It needed a response. She hadn’t gotten one.

Hey, so my flight gets in at 2pm your time. I can’t wait to meet you! xx

Sure, she hadn’t expected anything really over the top. Not like those videos she’d seen, with people waiting with a full band and flowers and shit. But someone.

After all, she’d flown here for one specific purpose: to meet her boyfriend. Properly, in person. Take the relationship from the digital world and into the physical.

But there was no one waiting for her.

Just landed, she typed out, sitting on a bench outside the airport with her bag. It was absolutely sweltering, which was a novel concept: sweating in December. Apparently it could get even worse.

Maybe she should have… booked a hotel or something. Hans had said it wouldn’t be necessary but… did he forget when her flight was arriving?

Sucking in a breath, she looked around. Then she looked back at her phone. The message hadn’t been sent yet, and she’d need to get a new SIM card, but she could afford one little message.

Just arrived. I can’t hang at the airport all day. You mentioned you live in the city so I’m going to head there. Please let me know when you get this! xx

Pressing ‘send’, Anna let out a breath. He was probably just driving or something. Maybe he had work?

Standing up, she began heading towards the taxi rank. There were dozens of people and not many cabs: it seemed they used Uber here, too. Towards the back of the queue she spotted an empty taxi that no one else seemed to have noticed yet. Perfect.

Moving forward, she was just reaching for the car door when another hand came into view. It belonged to a young woman, probably about her age. She was dressed in business-casual, and when she spoke, it was with a distinctive Australian accent. Very unlike Anna’s New York lilt.

“Oh! Sorry!” she said, before Anna could offer her own apologies.

“No-no, it’s fine! You take it.”

The woman smiled. “Where are you going? We could split the fare if you like?”

Honestly, that sounded really nice. “I’m- honestly I’m not really sure. My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up but he’s not answering… Probably just head to um…” she wracked her head for the name of a street he’d told her about. “King Street?”

The woman levelled a sympathetic smile. “Oh, you mean Queen Street? I’m heading that direction, too. I’m not a murderer or anything, I swear! It’s just right in the middle of town.”

Anna laughed, though it was a lot more earnest than the woman’s. “No, you certainly don’t look like a murderer,” she conceded.

“Oh? And why’s that?”

Anna looked away, cheeks still bunched up in a smile. “Well, a murderer wants to be unnoticed, right? Whereas you definitely draw the eye…”

And she did. A sharp nose that was small enough to still be petite, centred on a heart-shaped face. Her hair was a pale blonde that seemed natural, fashioned into a casual version of the classic corporate bun. She dressed like a lawyer, but her blue eyes held too much light, and there were subtle laugh lines around her lips. The woman’s eyes widened, mouth dropping to form an ‘o’ of surprise before it slipped into a much more natural smile. She held out her hand. “I’m Elsa.”

Anna took it gladly, shaking gently. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elsa. I’m Anna. And I’d love to take you up on your offer.”

In the back of her mind, she was still rather upset with Hans, with him not showing. But the day had turned around, just a little bit.

xxxx

It was so different from the States. So different. Elsa didn’t say much at first; she just let Anna look out the car window. Driving on the wrong side was novel, and the long stretch of road from the airport was so uninhabited it made it hard to believe that she was so close to the hub of a city. Of course it came into view before long, and yet it was still so strange! Very clearly segregated in a way that her own country wasn’t; only the rich, it seemed, lived in the city. And how quickly it changed from city to suburb! Anna was never one to be seen and not heard, and soon she was sharing every inane thought that popped into her head. Elsa didn’t seem to mind, though. She just smiled and nodded along and responded to all the banal little musings. In the back of her mind, Anna registered that Hans rarely entertained her like this. He thought she was dull sometimes. Swallowing, she pushed that thought away.

Elsa lived in a little suburb called ‘Teneriffe’, which was an absurd name (though not so strange as some of the other names she rattled off), and only a few kilometres (not miles, not here) from the inner city.

“You should definitely visit Southbank if you get a chance. And the botanical gardens are amazing. And it’s all within walking distance so you can see the whole city.”

“The whole city is in walking distance?” Anna asked. Elsa shrugged.

“Brisbane’s small. Not like Sydney or Melbourne. Although we do have better traffic. And also the Gold Coast. How long are you here for?”

“A couple of days, maybe longer. It kind of… depended on how everything went.” Anna sighed, looking at her phone again. Still nothing.

“If… if you’d like, I’d be happy to show you around the city a bit. Maybe we can get something to eat. To… make up for your boyfriend missing you. I promise not all Australians are like that.”

The suggestion made Anna laugh. She seemed trustworthy. But she didn’t say yes, and maybe it was a cultural thing but Anna had a feeling it was a gender thing. Elsa reached down to her wallet and pulled out her ID card. God even it looked silly – it was bright yellow! She passed it to Anna.

“Here. To take a picture of to send to your friends or something. Like I said, I’m not a murderer.”

“Oh, that’s – I’m sure you’re not—” Anna started. Elsa put the plastic card on Anna’s knee.

“Then for my peace of mind, and your friends. It’s fine, really.”

Pursing her lips, Anna lifted the card. There was even a little chip in it, like a debit card. She wondered what it was used for.

“Elsa Aren, huh?” she asked instead. Then she leaned forward and pulled out her own ID. “It’s only fair, after all,” she said, before grabbing her phone and opening the camera app.

“Anna Sommers,” Elsa read. “Your hair is different…”

Anna gave a little laugh that was more self-deprecating than it meant to be. “Yeah. The red is natural – the bleach blonde was not. I always wanted to be blonde because all the pretty girls were. It’s only since starting university that I’ve realised how little I care about that now.”

“Red hair suits you,” Elsa said lightly, handing back the card. “And now I know you’re definitely old enough to drink here. There’s some cool clubs not far from the CBD. You should try and get around to it while you’re here.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m a bit jet-lagged, and I’ve never been out drinking before…”

Elsa laughed. “Very fair. Well, I’m sure your boyfriend has just lost track of time. He’s probably planned out a whole week of adventures for you.”

Swallowing, Anna pushed a wan smile. “Yeah. Probably.” Her phone sat, obstinate and silent, in her hands. “I’ll send him another message when I get some Wi-Fi.”

Her first text had gone through, she was sure of it, but perhaps she got his number wrong. They’d mostly talked through Discord or Messenger. Saucy Snapchats.

It didn’t take long to sort out a Sim card once they arrived. Elsa was able to help, which was nice of her because she didn’t have to. She spoke slower, enunciated her words a little more so the accent wasn’t quite as thick. It was actually a really nice accent. Bright and relaxed.

There were a few messages from different people, mostly wishing her a safe flight; one from her dad, asking her where the extra cat food was and which plants were real and needed watering, and which ones were fake. It brought a grin to her face, which remained as she opened up Hans’ profile. The moment she messaged him, it vanished.

Heya, just got in. Where should I meet you?

This person is unavailable on messenger.

Her own message had vanished, as had the typing box. Anna stared at Hans’ picture as slowly, her legs turned leaden and her chest swelled, making every breath tight and hot. She knew what had happened, but refused to believe it.

Opening up discord, she typed the same thing; once again, it bounced back. There was no way to tell if he’d blocked her here, too – not that it really mattered. His Snapchat had completely vanished. No trace of his account at all.

Sucking in a breath and holding it, she willed herself not to cry. Elsa was standing off to the side, looking at her own phone and typing furiously; she must have felt Anna looking at her, though, because she glanced up. Immediately, her face fell at the sight of Anna’s.

“Hey, do you wanna grab a drink?” she asked. “There’s a bar around here that makes a mean margarita.”

Anna just wanted to be alone, but she recognised – even in her current state – that it would just make her feel crummier. Unable to find her voice, she just offered a little nod.

xxxx

Fortunately, Anna had packed light. It certainly made it easier to wander around the city; when Elsa had said there was a bar ‘nearby’, she’d sort of expected a fifteen-minute walk. It was actually only five, and she would never have seen it if she’d been looking on her own.

It was down an alley, which had been arbitrarily decorated with tiny little doors. The actual bar itself was called Death and Taxes, and Elsa seemed to be very familiar with it. The door guard pretty much just waved her through with only a cursory glance at her ID, though he paused a lot longer with Anna’s. Eventually, she too was waved through.

The bar was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Elsa had already found a spot in one corner, and was browsing through a menu. A fancy as fuck menu. The whole place seemed fancy, actually, and Anna felt very out of place in her comfy travelling clothes: jeans and a button-up blouse. She was wearing nice undies, though, just in case.

Even that thought made her face burn in shame and disappointment, and she was grateful for the low-light as she sat down opposite Elsa.

Her new friend’s eyes were a dark green from the naked fluorescent bulb hanging above them, and the disappointment Anna was feeling only magnified. How could it be that a complete stranger was so much kinder than Hans had been? If only she’d travelled here, all the way across the Pacific Ocean, for her.

“Hmm, I know I suggested a margarita, but I sort of want something a little fruity today,” Elsa commented lightly, glancing up at Anna with a smile.

“Just like me, hey,” Anna responded, reaching for a menu. Her jaw fell at the prices. “Holy shit, these are some exxie cocktails.”

“Hmm? Oh, they’re about standard,” Elsa said. Then she blinked. “First one is on me, though. I’m the one who dragged you here, and there are definitely cheaper places we could have gone.”

Something twisted and bitter crawled up Anna’s throat, and around the lump it formed, she muttered a low, “Well, I’m glad I’m not a cheap date.”

As soon as she’d said the words, Anna felt terrible for being so negative. She didn’t know how to recover, though, and fortunately didn’t have to as a waiter came with a carafe of water and two glasses, ready to take their drink order.

Anna sat in silence as Elsa chose two drinks. They sounded like fun, but any good cheer in Anna had leaked out of her completely. That was mean to say; all Elsa was trying to do was cheer her up and she was moping. Focussed on the stupid painful actions of another person, completely out of her control.

But then Elsa surprised her, once the waiter had left, by pouring out the water and offering one to Anna.

“Wanna talk about it?” she asked, delicate eyebrows furrowed in concern. With a frown so potent her bottom lip trembled, Anna offered a pathetic shake of her head, just before the dam burst.

“We met online. On Reddit, how gross. And he was just so easy to talk to and we had a lot of common interests. We shared our, y'know, traumas and shit. And he said he’d never just leave me, but then he did and I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Elsa listened silently, holding her water but not drinking it. Anna, once she was done, sipped hers so she wouldn’t say anything more. What more was there to say? He was gone; or, he wanted her gone from his life. And that was a shitty fucking feeling.

“He sounds like an asshole,” Elsa said. “That’s such a terrible thing to do. Can I ask, did he pay for this trip for you?” Anna snorted and gave Elsa a look; Elsa nodded, glancing down at her glass. “Men are trash, hey,” she said instead. Anna snorted again, but a smile tugged at one corner of her mouth.

“You said it, sister,” she said, just as their drinks arrived. She took hers and held it aloft. “Good riddance.”

“Cheers to that.”

Their glasses clinked delicately, and Elsa smiled at her before taking a sip. It was definitely fruity; very sweet, and she could barely taste the alcohol.

“I’m glad I met you. Thanks for making the start of my holiday not shit.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I’d probably be at home drinking alone if I wasn’t here, and drinking with company is always far better – if a little more expensive.”

At Anna’s questioning eyebrow, she gave a sigh. “I just came back from Sydney uh. Finalising my divorce.” Anna winced and Elsa nodded, taking another sip; Anna copied her, taking a much larger gulp. “Yeah, it sucks. My wife – well, ex-wife now, I suppose – decided that she was not exactly monogamous, and not as gay as she’d thought.”

Anna gasped. “She cheated on you with a guy.”

Scrunching up her mouth, Elsa nodded. “Well. Two guys. In a gay relationship. At the same time.”

There was no hiding the gobsmacked look beneath her freckles. “Wow. That’s shit.”

“Look, it actually happened months ago – almost a whole year, actually. The process just took a long time.”

Taking another drink – wow her glass was very light now. So was her head – Anna nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t understand cheaters. Just. You’re with someone and you love them, right? And I mean, you’re gorgeous and kind and she was lucky to have you before she threw it away.” Anna paused there, then added with a laugh, “I have really strong opinions.”

“Oh, really? I couldn’t tell!“

The conversation moved to lighter topics after that, which was for the best as Anna had another drink, and then another. Elsa bought the drinks, but Anna bought an expensive truffle pizza to share. She was having such a nice time that it wasn’t until they exited the bar that Anna realised she had never organised alternate accommodation. That sobered her up pretty fast, at least until Elsa spoke up.

“Why don’t you stay in my spare room? I have the space.”

Anna was just grateful that someone was looking out for her. After each drink, Elsa had made sure she had a glass of water; they’d traded stories and phone numbers and pictures of their ID. And though it was barely past eight, Anna was completely exhausted – from the travel and emotional toil the day had wrung from her.

Of course, as soon as they arrived, she got her second wind. Elsa gave a tour, and the Wi-Fi password. She also went to the kitchen, Anna following, for another glass of water.

“You’ll thank me tomorrow,” she said, passing it over.

“I thank you now,” came the response. “You’ve been so nice to me. Today could have been so terrible, but it wasn’t.”

Elsa flushed red and smiled. “Do I sound like a bitch to say that I’m kinda… not upset you had to spend the day with me coz your other plans fell through?” she asked. Anna felt her own cheeks heat up and she stepped forward. “I haven’t had such a nice time since before I was married.”

“Hey, so… just checking… but you’re not married anymore, right?”

Somehow, Elsa’s blush deepened, and though her eyes widened, there was the beginning of a smile tugging at her lips. She took a step so she could lean against the counter. “Correct. And, just for my own knowledge, you’re… not seeing anybody at the moment?”

Anna could feel her heart pick up, in a way it never had when talking to Hans. Or even fucking. Sexting him. Her whole body felt warm. She took a step closer to Elsa, whose relaxed position never changed.

“No, but I could be.”

She had just a moment to process the grin on Elsa’s face before the distance closed and Anna couldn’t see much of anything. God, she could feel it, though.

The whole day had brought nothing but luck, she decided: lingerie included.

[myimaginedcorner]

A TUMBLR STORY: TORN PAGE (pg.25)

PREVIOUS RESULT: Yes - I wish for them to know.

***

“Ashna Silverheart, huh…”

Raph’s voice gets an offended glance from Silence, who took over as your lips sealed for a pause. With a huff of soundless wind, She leaves, hurt.

“Raph, again…” the barman shakes his head.

“Whatever. She’s always so dramatic.”

“You cannot steal her moments. Time owes her moments.”

“Whatever.”

“So, you know the precious elf?” the fairy wonders, puffing smoke into a foggy air. It smells of lilies, a scent sweet and strong. Your mind reacts to it, quiet on its meaning.

“Hells if I do,” Raph coughs, scaring away the odours with a hand. “Don’t blow that at me, will you?”

“Tell us then, who are they?” the barman, cheerfully intrigued, puts a new glass in front of you.

“Not my story to tell, now, is it?” the man answers, eyes narrowed. You feel his heavy gaze – a gaze that shackles you with sins you don’t remember.

“But Raph, you cannot spoil us and then pretend we heard nothing,” the barman’s voice sounds displeased. “At least, tell us who they are to be.”

“No, that’s their job.”

“Why are they a Silverheart, then?”

“It’s their surname, what would I know?”

“Elves don’t have surnames.”

Your intervention is a mumble everyone can hear. All stares gather on you, even more intrigued, albeit their curiosity cannot match the turmoil stirred up within you. Raph knows Ashna as a Silverheart? That is a title rare to acquire, one not appropriate for a scholar or a mage. It is a heroic denomination, reserved to someone…

You wince in pain.

“Oh, dear, that needs a stronger sip,” the man of emerald eyes swaps your old cup for a new one, small and transparent. In it, a steaming liquid fizzes, glowing in the shadow of a hand. You grab it, eager to pour down your throat: it burns your skin, leaving a scar through which confusion escapes your body.

“Better?” you’re asked as you knock on the table with the empty glass.

“No,” you sigh. Your mind is clear again, memories pouring out like water through a broken dam.

First mistake.

***

“Let me show you something.”

You moved to the queue’s end, away from elven ears. Laefen and Amani led the way, Leader and scout; the others followed, absorbed by their own thoughts, oblivious to your machinations. At least, so they posed themselves to be – you weren’t sure M was not spying from the corners of their eyes, aware of every whisper slipping through your lips. Just in case, you turned your head away, focusing on your companion. What you were about to say was meant for them only.

“What is it?” there was a mix of intrigue and fear in Ashna’s voice. You caught their gaze as you took their hands; the pulse of a warm heart reached you through their tender veins.

“Something revolutionary.”

You tried to replicate what you just felt, that world fading into dullness as green took over every shape. You channelled a thought you never used before – the will to live, a strong desire to unsee the deadline placed over your mortal head. Push Death away, for it doesn’t belong to you to wield Her…

“Wow…” an awed exhale brought you to visualise Ashna’s outline, gleaming emerald. Their energy flowed in chaos with its every thread, yet in a movement soft and placid, easy to observe. Their eyes became two lights to scare away all darkness, their shivering ears, two wings that sprinkled sparkling dust into the air. Within their chest, you saw a core not so dissimilar from yours, power incarnated. If gods were not defeated, you would mistake them for one.

“What is this…?” their question led you to a smile – they saw it.

“This is Life.”

You watched the sparks fleeting over your naked skin, jumping from finger to finger as they danced with an elusive partner. While your hands interlaced, your energies did not, each of you, keeping your flame safe.

“Life?” confused, Ashna managed to pull their eyes away from the hypnotic sight. “It looks like magic energy, but feels…”

“Different,” you finished for them, nodding. “This is not magic, but our own Life. Do you see how it flows through me, through you, through everything?”

“I only see some grains that quickly dissipate. The ones you are invoking.”

With a little frown, you sighed. Of course, Ashna was not blessed by the dragon’s knowledge… it would be hard for them to comprehend the vastness of what you had learned.

“Hey, lovey-dovey ones at the end, don’t slow down!!” you heared Laefen shout; you split your lace, all emerald gone in an instant. Your eyes met with the scout’s gaze, curious in innocent mischievousness as for your behaviour. Noticing the stare, he smiled, giving you a playful wink. “Don’t make me search for you later, alright?”

“Sorry,” Ashna quickly apologised, adjusting their hair. “We’ll be more wary.”

“Nothing to be wary about with me around, do not fret, fellow scholar,” grinned the elf. “Just don’t get out of my line of sight.”

“That should be quite a distance,” you pointed out.

The elf laughed. “Well of course, but let’s not test it, shall we?”

“Yeah,” a thin smile appeared upon your lips. With a quick glance to the side, you neared Ashna’s ear, whispering. “I’ll teach you.”

You felt how their ear shivered from the warmth of your breath, and saw how heat travelled to its tips, shied by your closeness. Your smile grew – in your mind, butterflies covered with their colourful wings the shades of grim reason.