#'i want to know the exact limits of my guilt'

[soulprompts]

THE MANY MEANINGS OF "HEY.": A PROMPT LIST.

i often have these ideas that have no real origin, but i can actually tell you precisely why my brain wanted this: i was listening to "hey, soul sister" by train on a loop and i got thinking abt the fact that we really do just say "hey" for so many reasons. and i wanted to make that your thought of the evening! so happy november, bon appetit, wrap up warm, DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST, and enjoy your writings!

[ GREETING ]: sender says "hey" as a greeting to the receiver.

[ ATTENTION ]: sender, having just noticed something strange or remarkable, calls for the receiver to get their attention.

[ REASSURE ]: in a bid to steady the unsettled receiver, the sender lightly says "hey" to help them calm down.

[ ANGER ]: the sender sharply snaps "hey" at the receiver, clearly angry about something the receiver has just done or had done in the past.

[ IDEA ]: having been presented with a predicament, the sender suddenly unravels a solution, introducing it to the receiver by saying "hey…".

[ GUILT ]: having just done something that they know the receiver won't be pleased with, the sender sheepishly greets them once they arrive to see the damage.

[ GOSSIP ]: the sender turns to face the receiver conspiratorially, clearly eager to share some new gossip with them.

[ URGENT ]: the sender rushes to the preoccupied receiver, desperately shouting "hey!" to get them to focus on a far more pressing matter.

[ SOOTHE ]: after finding the clearly distressed receiver, the sender pulls them into a careful embrace, gently murmuring "hey…" to try and soothe them.

[ SMILE ]: the sender (who hasn't been smiling up until they actually see the receiver in front of them) lights up with a smile as they greet the receiver.

[ TEARS ]: the sender greets the receiver while very clearly in tears.

[ FAKE ]: alternatively, the sender (who has just been crying in private) hastily wipes away their tears and tries to greet the receiver casually (to varying degrees of success).

[ WARNING ]: when the receiver begins to say things about subjects that are off-limits to the sender, the latter gives them a warning by saying "hey…".

[ LAUGH ]: having found the receiver to be decidedly unhappy, the sender lightly catches their attention before doing something to make them laugh, or at the very least, grin.

[ PROTEST ]: after the receiver does or says something that the sender deems to be unfair, the sender tries to exact justice by saying "hey!".

[ BREATHLESS ]: having clearly just sprinted down to the receiver, the sender tries to catch their breath while greeting them.

[ SAVE ]: after just saving the receiver's life in a very heroic fashion, the sender smoothly greets them while helping them escape.

[ FLIRT ]: the sender meets the receiver in a social setting, and attempts to flirt with them with the very traditional pick-up line: "hey.".

[ APOLOGY ]: the sender, having recently done something that hurt or upset the receiver, reunites with them and addresses the elephant in the room by greeting them with a sincerely apologetic tone.

[ AWKWARD ]: after a particularly rough first encounter, the sender meets the receiver again, and awkwardly greets them with more than a touch of embarrassment.

[ GENTLE ]: having found the receiver in an emotionally compromised position, the sender closes the door and approaches them carefully, gently saying "hey…" to try and get them to communicate what has upset them.

[ HARD ]: preparing to deliver what they both know will be bad news, the sender tries to prepare the receiver by quietly greeting them in a solemn tone.

[ WAKEN ]: walking into the receiver's bedroom, the sender gently shakes their shoulder to waken them, and whispers "hey." to encourage the process along.

[ WHISPER ]: the sender gently whispers "hey" to the receiver to discreetly get their attention without drawing the attention of others.

[fastandcarlos]

Nurse Lance : ̗̀➛ Lance Stroll

summary: you were all set to be there and cheering lance on at the race, that was until, the world's worst cold decided to hold you back

“Are you sure that you’re going to be alright?” Lance quizzed once again as he hurried around the hotel room, making sure that you had everything that you would possibly need for the day at arm’s length.

“Lance, it’s just a bit of a cold, I’m sure I’ll survive for a couple of hours,” you tried to protest, but he was having none of it. If he had his way, he wouldn’t even be going to race, instead staying back and taking care of you, but you refused to let him miss out on the race just because of you.

“You promise that if you need anything you’ll give someone in the garage a ring, please.”

“I absolutely promise,” you assured him as Lance chuckled his rucksack over his shoulder. He walked across to you and pressed a kiss against the top of your head, brushing your hair out of your face. You groaned as you moved, feeling your body ache and your head pound. “Try and get some rest my love, I’ll be back with you as soon as I can.”

You mumbled a goodbye to Lance as he headed out of the hotel room, heart aching with guilt that he was leaving you to fend for yourself.

Although, it felt like Lance barely left you alone. Every time he had a spare five minutes, he was texting to make sure that you were alright. He was constantly on you, wanting to make sure that nothing had changed or got worse.

You adored Lance for how much he cared about you, you had enough supplies beside you to last the week if you were honest. Across the city he was struggling to concentrate, caring too much to really pay any attention to what was going on in the race.

For most of the afternoon you managed to get some rest, closing your eyes and ignoring the pain that was pounding against your body. As much as you wanted to watch and cheer for Lance, the thought of that much light from your phone staring back at you was enough to make you feel sick.

Once the race was finished, Lance was straight back on the phone to see if there was any update from you. When his last text was left unread, he began to panic, terrified that something bad had happened and he wasn’t there to help.

Lance had never moved quicker through the media pen, never shared so little in the team briefing to get it over with, and never got to his car quicker in order to leave. Just about every speed limit was tested as Lance drove from the paddock straight to your hotel.

His legs couldn’t move him fast enough, ignoring the cameras that were outside the hotel waiting to capture a photo of Lance. Usually, he had plenty of time to stop and smile, but today his only focus was getting back to you. He darted to the lifts, bouncing nervously on his feet as the floors seemed to change slower than ever, before rushing down the corridor, fumbling for his hotel room key in the bottom of his bag.

He was silent as he entered the room, nervous to see how you were. Lance crept through the room, noticing your figure was still in the exact spot where he left you. He was terrified to wake you as Lance studied you closely, only for you to shuffle slightly on the sofa as you heard him clear his throat and gently place his bag down on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

“You’re home, how was the race?” You whispered across to him.

“It was alright,” Lance shrugged, taking a seat down beside you. “Don’t worry about the race though, how are you? Can I get you anything? Have you been keeping up with your medicine?”

Your head nodded, but Lance could tell from the expression on your face that you were still struggling a lot, barely able to pull yourself up so that you could see Lance.

“It seems pretty early for you to be home,” you noted, glancing across at the clock. “Please don’t tell me that you left the paddock early to get back to me,” you scolded, knowing exactly what Lance was like. His sheepish smile told you everything that you needed to know, shaking your head at him, although Lance knew he had made the right choice and would do it again in a heartbeat.

“I came back for you, you can’t be mad at me,” Lance chuckled.

Your eyes rolled as he innocently smiled across at him, “I can be mad at you when you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.”

“How am I supposed to enjoy myself when you’re not there?” Lance asked, shifting his body to face you properly. His hand reached out and held onto yours, squeezing it gently. “Even when you’re ill and germy you’re the person that I want to spend all my time with, the people at the paddock are cool, sometimes, but you’re a thousand times cooler.”

“I was sleeping peacefully until you showed up,” you joked, offering Lance a reassuring smile as he kept his eyes on you, always checking you over.

“Shall I remind you of how much you clung to me last night?” He pushed, raising a questionable glance at you. “Lance, please don’t leave me. Lance, what if I die from this cold?” He asked, imitating your voice and the questions that you asked him cuddled up in bed last night. “You were pretty much stuck to me last night, and now you’re wanting me to go away and leave you alone? You’re pretty indecisive when you’re unwell.”

Your eyes rolled as Lance reached across and lifted the pillow up around your head again in an attempt to make you a bit more comfortable.

“So, why don’t you lay there and let me take care of you for the rest of the evening?” He offered, “because I know that’s what you want from me deep down.”

You couldn’t protest, having Lance looking after you was definitely one of the best perks of being unwell.

“Come on,” Lance smiled, carefully lifting your figure up from the sofa.

“What are you doing with me?”

“Exactly what you want me to do with you, even if you won’t say it.”

Lance twirled you around in his hold and sat himself down on the sofa, laying your figure over the top of him. His arm was securely around your waist to keep you safely in position. His head rested against the top of your own, eyes watching you closely as you made yourself comfortable. You enjoyed being stubborn, you enjoyed trying to prove Lance wrong, but the reality was you really did need him. You loved having him take care of you, you loved how he was so protective and would do absolutely anything in order to make you feel even just the tiniest bit better.

“Thank you,” you hummed after a few moments, finding yourself beginning to feel sleepy once again. Lance hummed as his fingertips brushed through the ends of your hair. “I love having you here, taking care of me,” you admitted, “I’m just sorry I didn’t get to be there and cheer you on.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for babe, you’re my number one, always.”

“I know, I love you Lance,” you murmured.

“I love you so much more.”

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[sparrowrye]

Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, A2 part 7

Summary: It’s been over a year since we were brought under Alastor’s watchful eye. We’ve unlocked our Demonic powers, discovered our own talents, and began building the Safe Haven with Charlie and co. Alastor seems increasingly interested in the power we hold as one and intends to use it properly.

Previous part

Part 7: new revelation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't find him!" A woman burst through the doors. Her boots were barely on and she wore no jacket.

"Find who?" Althea asked, one wolf ear flicking at the sudden noise.

"Rodney!" She ran over to us and spoke directly to the healer. "We-we were arguing and he ran out but I thought he would come back."

"How long has he been out?"

The woman was hesitant, eyes jumping between all of us. Althea had to prompt her again, pressing that we needed to know as soon as possible.

"Since...since this afternoon."

Althea and I locked eyes. The sun was about to set which meant the boy had been out for hours in the freezing cold. "Which way did he go?" she asked.

The woman was in tears now, guilt probably pulling her heart in two. She shook her head in her hands as an answer. She had no idea.

"Where do we start?" Althea looked to me. I almost wanted to ask 'why would I know?' but I did in fact know. I had been on this land for two years now and ran or explored most of it.

"Either the shore or the forest," I answered.

"We don't have any winter clothes, though," Vivian warned. She was right. We had yet to make winter clothes for everyone since they only moved in the cold when going between warm buildings. Someone going out could get frostbite themselves before they found the boy.

I thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. "Find Husker. His magic lets him keep himself warm and he can fly along the shore."

"What about the forest?" Althea asked.

"I'll go. I can also keep myself warm and can move fast as a dragon."

"As a what?" Vilcin popped their head out from behind Vivian. I noticed by the looks on their faces that I had yet to let my friends know of my abilities. They mostly seemed surprised but I worried if there was a hint of anger at keeping a secret from them.

"I'll be back." I turned swiftly on my heels and out into the cold. The wind caught me off guard but I pushed the cold away and replaced it with warmth. I took a few steps in the shallow snow, some Humans having shoveled for easier walking, and jumped forward. My claws enlarged and it took a second jump for my whole Dragon form to come out.

I moved swiftly out of the haven and into the forest. It was much easier to maneuver through the forest with four feet. My tail whipped behind me and I felt a rush of adrenaline run through my veins. I loved running like this. I felt so free and natural, like I belonged doing exactly this.

A presence came to my mind and I instantly recognized it as Alastor. He seemed to wrap around my mind but not quite pass through my shields. I slowed to a trot and looked around for his stark red coat against the white snow, but he was nowhere to be found. Was he close?

I shook my head and picked up my pace back to a run. I had only so much time before I lost the sunlight. It was taking a lot of magic to keep my Dragon form, keep myself warm, and move as quickly as I could through the forest.

The sun was moving faster than me, though, and the forest became next to impossible to run through. I was forced into another trot to avoid running face first into a tree.

"You lack imagination." Alastor's voice echoed in my head. He was always saying those exact words. How could I use my imagination when my entire world has been grounded in reality and the limits of the physical body? I could only do so much.

I came to a stop and stomped my front foot. I wasn't going to return without this boy, dead or alive. I could manage to find him, assuming he even came into the forest to begin with and not the shore.

I took a deep breath to let out a sigh but stopped. I quickly let out the breath and took another huge one through my nose alone. I could smell something. It wasn't natural, nothing like wood or snow. It was something else—someone—else.

Bringing more magic energy to my head, I started taking short, deep breaths. I padded through the cold snow keeping my head close to the ground. The boy was young so he was shorter. If only it was light enough then I could see footprints.

I tried brightening the dark shadows, reverse shadow work, and watched everything brighten. I picked up the pace as I followed the boy's trail. He was close. The smell was getting stronger and the snow wasn't smooth - he had come this way.

Then I spotted him. He was laying on his side curled up against a tree. I sprinted over and slid to a stop. He had dug himself a little burrow in the snow but it did him nothing. His body was barely moving and his fingers were already purple.

I lifted his cold body into my arms and took flight. I kept the cold away and gradually pushed warmth into him. He wasn't dead but he was awfully close. I flew as fast as I could back to the haven and found Althea in the grand hall. She rushed him over to her hut, wrapped him in blankets, and immediately started attempting to heal him. The mother was hovering but fortunately Vivian convinced her to sit to the side with her.

"What about his hands?" I asked nervously, touching the poor boy's black tipped fingers under the blanket.

"Healing speeds up the process, it can't undo anything," Althea explained. She was bringing color back to his skin.

Surely that can't be right.

I pulled his arm out of the blanket and gently ran my fingers across his own. The mother was sobbing at this point and mumbling her guilts to our teacher.

I looked down to the boy's fingers. I remembered Lucifer, King of Hell, saying that magic was ever expanding and not constrained to the categories already set in place. Vox was obviously a new improvement to their type of magic. Surely I could do the same? Alastor himself said I had a lot of power.

Carefully and slowly, I imagined the black skin crawling away from my own hand and fading into the tips of his fingers. I was shocked to find it actually working when I opened my eyes. A surge of happiness filled me as I continued my work until the black had disappeared entirely. I watched one of his fingers twitch.

I did it!

Alastor's presence surged through my shields and his hand suddenly gripped my wrist, wrenching it up so quickly and painfully that I was spun around to face him. His eyes were narrow and I could see his black gums on his terrifying snarl. He was angry.

"How did you do that?" he demanded. My fingers were feeling funny from the death grip he had on my wrist. I could feel him searching my memories and I tried to pull my hand free to break the connection.

"Let go of me, Alastor." I met his sharp, cat-like eyes with equal anger. He was violating the peace we had managed to build these past few weeks. He was reverting back to his self that I first met.

I was pulled into the shadows and transported into the library. I stumbled back into the wall from the motion and Alastor chased me, slamming a hand on the wall beside my head and bringing his sharp teeth close to my face. "How. Did. You. Do that?" he demanded again.

"You don't get to treat me like this!" Still in my Demon form, I made myself a few inches taller and pulled my lips back in a snarl. It still felt much weaker compared to his yellow one but I wasn't about to drop the challenge.

"Answer me," he ignored my response, "how? You shouldn't have been able to do that."

"Well I did. You're the one who keeps telling me I lack imagination but when I use it you get mad at me."

"I want to know how. Explain it to every detail."

"Why are you so upset about this? Tell me that first."

"This isn't a negotiation, darling~" the name was anything but sweet, sending a chill down my spine that I repressed.

"You don't get to control me. We've been over this time and time again. You. Cannot. Control me!" I went to shove him away but he grabbed both hands at the last second. He moved them barely to the side and my momentum took me into him. He took advantage of my loss of balance, holding my hands far enough past his shoulders that I was leaning on his chest and craning my neck back away from his teeth. His breath smelled horrible.

Without warning, he invaded my mind and went through my memories. I brought my back foot up and shoved against his leg. His tentacles came up to keep me in place, his eyes seeing through me as he fished for his answer. I did the next best thing and brought my forehead to his teeth.

His ears pinned back, something I didn't know he could do, and jerked his head away. The tentacles reached up to my shoulders to hold me down further. So I went the magic route.

I closed my eyes and followed the connection, reaching into his mind this time. I barely got in when he withdrew quickly from my mind to shove me out of his.

"I told you-"

"Then don't search through mine!" I let Alcine, my shadow, free from my form and she towered on the wall behind me. She morphed into the dragon and attacked Alastor's shadow. She wrapped around him like a snake and held his face in her claws, ready to snap his neck.

Alastor's eyes widened at the loss of his shadow. They then jumped back to me, a smirk pulling at my lips. It's only been two years but I was already giving him a run for his money. Something in me had unlocked tonight and he was furious about it.

His tentacles suddenly disappeared and he shoved me against the wall by my neck. He leaned down close to my ear as my throat squeezed shut. "You have been gifted by the force of the universe that our fates our tied."

I put my weight on his arm and looked up at him through half lidded eyes. I put both feet against his leg but without oxygen I was useless. I tried using magic to fill my lungs but I felt him block me. My anger boiled from being unable to do anything.

He suddenly let go and I fell on my tailbone, letting out a strangled gasp and high pitched noise. "No matter," he said, his cane appearing in his hand so he could lean over me, "I found my answer. For the time being, you are not to tell a soul what you did. It could mean worse things for both of us."

I watched him disappear into his shadows to who knows where. I retracted my horns so I could slam my head into the wall and punch the floor. I let out a deep yell and looked at Alcine on the wall. She had turned back into her elegant long hat outfit.

I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. He was always going to beat me. Two years felt like awhile but to him it was milliseconds. It would take me so long before I could match him on skill level. Why couldn't he just be normal? Why did he have to push and invade my boundaries?

I glared up into the dark library, my Demon side fully out. This meant I would have to go about this a different way.

****

"Since when do you willingly want to speak with me?" Lucifer Morningstar asked, closing the door behind the Radio Demon. Alastor spun to face the short king and placed his hands atop his own—better—cane.

"You have information only you would know. I came to retrieve it."

"Oh? And why would I give it to you?"

"I think you'd find it rather interesting what I'm about to tell you." He cocked his head to the side.

"And what is that?"

Alastor took a few steps to close the distance. "My soulmate healed completely frostbitten fingers."

"Why is that so interesting?" Lucifer kept his arms crossed. Alastor's eye twitched at the king's oblivion. He remained silent, waiting for him to figure it out himself. Indeed he did because his eyes widened and his arms dropped to his sides.

"She healed...that's not how Demon magic works," Lucifer said slowly.

"Precisely," the word rolled off Alastor's tongue. "She healed it. Who else wields such magic?"

"Well...that would be me, Lilith, and Charlie. And any and all Angels who—" It clicked. "She's...you think she's a..."

"A fallen Angel," Alastor finished for him. This man's mind worked so slow yet he was running all of Hell.

Lucifer started to laugh. Alastor watched, completely unamused by the behavior. Why was this so funny? This meant the Angels were losing more of them and allowing them to fall to the surface instead of Hell.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lucifer wiped a tear from his eyes. "It's just...I find it hilarious that you, the Radio Demon, are soul bound to a fallen Angel."

"Why is that? She must've done something to earn such a banishment."

That made Lucifer go quiet. He put a hand under his arm and another under his chin to think. "Have you not seen her memories? Or has she been making sure you can't be twenty yards from her?" He smirked, knowing full well from Charlie what the status of their relationship was like.

"I have. She has no memories of Heaven, though. Hence why I thought a fallen Angel himself would certainly have more information." Alastor was trying to threaten Lucifer with a lack of knowledge, hoping he'd try to prove himself and give up the information willingly.

Lucifer didn't find it amusing, mostly hurtful, but he played the part. "Then she must be a child of a fallen Angel. It would explain why I didn't see a halo when I first met her."

"Excuse me?" Alastor tapped his fingers on his cane.

Lucifer ran his black hand over his smooth hair then pointed an inch above it. "Fallen angels have a faint outline of their halo above their head only I can see."

"She did not have one?"

"No," he shook his head, "but I can imagine she would have some Angelic magic if one of her parents were one."

"Outstanding."

Lucifer watched Alastor's expression intensely. "Why is this so important? What do you intend to do to her?"

"That is for me to know." He held his cane and arms behind his back as he smiled down at the King of Hell.

"I feel real bad for your soulmate." Lucifer's tone was somber as he crossed his arms again.

"You will envy us with time. Ta ta for now." Alastor slipped into the shadows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

I'm back on a roll! Time for feelings!!!

[animeyanderelover]

Hello, hi! This is my second request so I’m sorry if this is too much! If it’s is then please ignore this or the other one or both!

May I please request for Yandere of your choice with a reader who really likes their Yandere behavior? Of course minus the killing and hurting others part.

Thank you! And please take care of yourself.

I’ll do my best to take care of myself!

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, delusions, stalking, clinginess, paranoia, jealousy

S/o likes their Yandere behavior

Sohma Shigure

🐕Behind his light-hearted facade, Shigure is quite hyper-aware of his own obsession but is quite literally feeling nonchalant about it. Because he doesn't like getting hurt though, he's very possessive of his darling and is always somehow involved in their daily life. Also, he loves teasing you at times since it's entertaining if he can push your buttons enough to make you a bit mad, although it's still very much an asshole move. Shigure is even more of an asshole to anyone who is threatening to take the biggest place in your heart. He's a petty man despite his sometimes insightful moments and can feel quite bitter if he notices that you're very close to someone, closer than to him. He always manages to test the limit of such a person too, only that he is far more cruel than he'd be usually. He's just mean and manipulative.

🐕 He's sort of amused that you still like his behavior for the most part even if you do mention to him that you don't appreciate him being mean and trying to break apart precious bonds you have with others. Shigure expected something else but he's satisfied that you still love him. It saves him trouble that might have come his way otherwise. He likes to tease you for being a weirdo though because you actually enjoy his possessive and more clingy attitude although in a more loving way. He can't help his sometimes more shitty attitude though by testing the waters with you. He just wants to know how far he can go until you get mad, with how much he can get away. For the most part he still acts laid-back and silly but he's more genuine with all of his feelings and hides things less from you.

Roy Mustang

🔥 Roy is a charismatic and charming man for his darling but it's all really just a mask so he can hide something he often finds himself deeply ashamed about. His own possessive and obsessive infatuation. He feels so often embarrassed and guilty for his own emotions but also knows from previous tries that it doesn't do his sanity good if he tries to distance himself from you. Roy at least manages to come over as a normal lover for the most part, he has composure. In moments of weakness he cracks though and that partially rules in his trauma regarding the Ishval Civil War and the death of his dear friend. Moments of insecurity where he turns more possessive, jealous and needy. Moments where you feel his hands heating up as his temper flares up.

🔥 He's shocked when he finds out that you actually enjoy it when he gets more possessive and wants you around him when he feels insecure all the time. He expected you to react the exact opposite if you'd ever suspect that he's actually quite obsessed and is unable to come up with something good to say the first few moments. He doesn't even know how he should feel for a while. A rational part of him thinks it's wrong for you to enjoy this all even if you at least say that killing others is still wrong and he shouldn't do it. On the other hand he loathes that another part of him is relieved and even glad. He sort of tiptoes around you, observes you as if not believing you. He refuses to use your willingness yet you find him clinging to you whenever he's hit with his paranoid insecurity and wants reassurance.

Takasugi Shinsuke

❤️‍🩹 Takasugi Shinsuke is a mess when it comes to his feelings. He's driven by his anger and guilt and has set his mind to destroy the world since it took what was most important to him. He's already slightly deranged and knows it but the new feelings blossoming inside his chest worsen that even more. He didn't expect to love someone, never wanted it either since he already had a goal he wanted to achieve. Your appearance confuses him, another wish which should be forbidden for someone like him pollutes his thoughts. The man hates you, you ruin his plan and he wants to reject you but longs for you deep down. He stalks you, watches you, is possessive enough to kill anyone who might be your potential partner even if he himself rejects the idea of a relationship himself.

❤️‍🩹 At one point he nearly loses it though, the chaotic storm of feelings inside of him leading to an abduction. He's quite aloof and cold to you, expects you to hate and fear him and even wants it. Yet apparently he isn't the insane one, you are. He is unable to understand why you like his behavior and him, tries to ignore the way a part of his heart flutters out of happiness. He stares at you with a unreadable face, analyzes you in silent hopes to find out that you lie, that you fear him. You seek him out, he avoids you. He can't love but you make it hard for the irrational emotions of his who just want you. Takasugi, for the lack of knowledge how to handle your genuine affection, resorts to show you the worst and ugliest part of him so you stop tugging at his heartstrings. He can't even make sense of himself right now, torn apart between revenge and new desire.

Integra Hellsing

🚬 Integra has this domineering and intimidating aura around her that demands respect and she knows that this might scare others a bit. Integra herself is lucid about her own feelings but what is as admirable as fearsome about her is that she handles her obsession with her normal controlled ease. She goes about it in the ususal business-like manner but doesn't allow her darling much choices in the end. Alucard likes to tease his master for his obsession but luckily her temper doesn't flare up that easily. As a partner Integra is strict and controlling though and due to her showing rarely any emotional reactions, she comes over as rather detached and cold at times. She's still very protective which is shown with her willingness to punish or even kill anyone who dares to attack and harm you.

🚬 Besides shock Sir Hellsing is genuinely impressed that you actually saw through her. Her servant Alucard is one of very few people who is able to see behind her composed and firm walls so to think that you were able to do the same is a small shock for her. There is a small part of amusement too when she hears how you find her behavior actually some sort of attractive even if you firmly stand against her killing others because of you. She keeps her coolness though and just sits down with you, interested how she gave herself away to you. It's probably sort of mind-blowing for an observer to hear and see how she spends an entire hour discussing and negotiating with you regarding her obsession and what you two will do from now on. Integra keeps her word though as long as you keep yours.

Kikyo

🏹 Her resurrection has given Kikyo certain freedoms she didn't have during the time when she was the guardian of the Sacred Jewel. She is allowed to hate now, to have negative emotions and that is some sort of relief for her even if she knows that such emotions can lead to terrible actions. Kikyo allows herself to be openly more selfish though and that is strongly shown with her obsession she has with her darling. Apparently with a new life came a new love for her too, far more intense than what she felt for Inuyasha. She stays in the place where you live for a while, you get to know her and she you too, additional stalking helping her even more. There comes the time where she has to leave though and she's selfish enough to force you to tag along. She knows that it's wrong and feels partially guilty yet is too tired to be selfless again.

🏹 She thought that you'd despise her, make things more difficult yet apparently you've gained feelings for her too and are happy to follow her. Your reaction flusters her a bit as she is not prepared for this. Yet Kikyo accepts your own feelings without quarreling with herself much. She feels a great sense of relief and joy that you reciprocate her love despite her somewhat apathetic act at times. She finds her fondness for you only deepening, reassures you that she won't harm people if they haven't done anything wrong. Sure, she still keeps an eye on you for a while to just go the extra mile to be safe but after that she gives you a lot of freedom. You're allowed to explore a bit without her although she insists that you still stay close enough so that you'd be able to hear her if she calls for you since Kikyo is very protective and given her past slightly paranoid.

Zenin Maki

💚 Maki represses her emotions mostly in order to maintain her tough and cold attitude but that doesn't mean that she dislikes you even if it sometimes comes over that way. It's rather that Maki is somewhat in disbelief that she is as romantically obsessed as she is with you. Her life revolves around becoming a strong sorcerer and humiliating her entire clan via that. Maki is almost a bit hyper-aware when around you although you don't catch her fleeting and subtle glances at first. The woman is strict and as tough as usual though with a good hint of a more possessive side at times. She won't be your knight in shining armor and expects you to be able to fend for yourself, even if you're just a normal human. Messing with her darling is never a good idea though because she's serious and won't hold back if someone clearly wrongs you.

💚 You manage to elicit a rather surprised and flabbergasted expression from her when she realizes that not only have you discovered her rather obsessive feelings but also came to like the way it influences her actions. Maki is not stupid, she knows that she's in the wrong with her feelings and struggles at times still with it. She's as straightforward with her words as ever though, deeming it to be useless to deny your words. You're too sure of yourself. She questions you about your weird liking for her obsession, you sense a hint of distrust from her. She still hasn't bought your words completely yet, it's not what she expected to hear from you. She's worried that others might notice too so she tries to cool her behavior down although she eventually relaxes more around you when she believes that you told the truth. She still tells you that you're weird for liking this albeit with a slightly amused grin.

Tomoe

🦊 Tomoe speaks badly about his darling the entire time but it's merely a way to distract himself from his own attraction. He's in utter disbelief and rejects the idea that he, a fox yokai, has fallen in love with a mere human. They're weak and mortal so why? Why does he feel this strong need to protect you? He's big in stalking at the beginning, a silent shadow who watches you. Surely he'd feel disgusted if he'd see how fragile and annoying this human really is. Nothing like that happens though, it only worsens Tomoe's addiction. An abduction is bound to happen since there is a certain paranoia Tomoe feels. Mikage already left him, he doesn't want to let you leave him too. He's very possessive and jealous too, not hesitant to scare or harm anyone who harms you or is too close to you.

🦊 Tomoe can pretend as much as he wants, deep down he longs to be loved and accepted by his darling which is why their confession catches him off guard. He's paranoid though since Mikage left him despite promising to be back soon so he doesn't believe you, experience has taught him so. He might even accuse you angrily of lying to him as a way to use him. Why would you love him despite him having kidnapped you? A part of him wants to believe you but he's too distrusting. You notice him being around you more often, his gaze never leaving you. He observes, searches for any signs that you lie but can't find any. It needs a lot of time and proof from you that you like him though before he slowly opens up and mellows out. He starts doting on you openly when he knows that you're genuine and wants at the same time more affection from your side.

Jacaerys Velaryon

He probably doesn't come over as someone potentially dangerous because Jacaerys is a big sweetheart for his darling. Even a blind person would see that he loves his darling to the moon and back, constantly singing praises about them in front of his family and spoiling them with whatever they wish. Jace isn't thinking rationally, his infatuation sort of keeps him from being completely aware about his own obsession. That doesn't mean that he has those silent moments where he kind of considers if his love can really be seen as completely harmless. Jacaerys experiences darker thoughts at times which sometimes startles him when he catches himself in the middle of it. It's important to keep in mind that he's highly protective and only truly caring to those he loves. Not to mention that he's more possessive than he lets on.

He orientates himself strongly after his darling though so it's a bad thing when he finds out that you adore his behavior. Sure, you're not too fond when he uses his position and influence to scare other potential pursuers away but you know that he loves you just a lot. The moment he knows that is the moment he pretty much abandons any doubt he had in the past about his attitude. He makes you happy with him if he acts that way apparently and that's all Jace wants and needs to know. If he knows that intimidating and threatening others upsets you, he tries to cool that part of him down but he will never stop being more aggressive if someone says or even looks at you the wrong way. His behavior around you intensifies since he knows that you like it though so he dotes on you even more than before.

Rokudo Mukuro

🌫️ This guy is disgustingly possessive over his darling and everything but tame. Mukuro is rather apathetic too which only means that he doesn't really care if he hurts others or even has to kill someone if it ensures that you stay with him. He even threatens and intimidates his own darling if it helps them to stay in line. He's less involved though as he is often away and takes care of something he never tells you about. You're either left under supervision of Chikusa, Ken and Chrome or are completely alone. Chances to run are tempting but that's what he wants to test in such scenarios. If you stay, he praises you for being obedient and smart and if you try to escape, he tracks you down an crushes your hopes by displaying the huge gap in power and skill between you two. Mukuro does care but he doesn't show it very openly.

🌫️ He wouldn't have minded your fear as long as you would have obeyed either but he's pleased to know that you actually like his behavior. He doesn't question why you do though because he knows that the average sane person would despise and fear him. Apparently you are another strange one but he doesn't really mind. It just means that everything will go smooth since you'll obey without throwing a tantrum. Mukuro decides to believe you too since he's confident in his ability to read you so he just sort of knows that you didn't lie to him when answering his question since he noticed. He doesn't exactly let you of the hook easier, still keeps you locked up and more isolated but he lets his more affectionate side show a bit here and there. Terms of endearment or the occasional soft caress of his hands when he isn't away.

Chae Yul

💜 Chae Yul is the complete package, the worst mix of everything. He’s extremely possessive, obsessive, trigger-happy, jealous and terribly clingy and needy. He’s incredibly attached to his darling to an unhealthy degree and relies solely on them for his emotional support. He rejects anyone else, isolates himself since you’re the only one he wants to spend time with. He’s a red flag, toxic enough to guilt-trip his darling whenever he feels like they reject him or is paranoid enough to think that they might plan to leave him. Yul can spend every waking second with you and attempts to do exactly that since he gets anxious when he isn’t with you. He’s the tamest when he is alone with you and isn’t scary to everyone who tries to get in between you two. Worst is that Yul tends to see everyone as villains who wants to separate him from you.

💜 He’s never viewed his excessive infatuation with you as wrong and despite the wrongness of it, you find it almost endearing. You make him aware of it too although you tell him that you don’t want him to threaten everyone who does as much as greeting you, he doesn’t have to act so overly jealous and possessive. Honestly, it’s probably best if his darling likes Yul’s behavior because otherwise he’d be insufferable. He doesn’t attempt to change much though although he tears up when you express your disappointment in him for acting so overly aggressive and frightening to others around you. He hates it, it makes him feel paranoid. So he opts to keep you most of the time in his apartment where he doesn’t have to worry about others. A perfect solution, wouldn’t you agree? Just let him stay like this forever, cuddled up in your arms.

[starrysharks]

OK so I'm feeling some guilt I started to draw cartoony like you but I get frustrated because it does bot look perfect like yours it's mostly small stuff like colors and clothes I love making cartoony body's sometimes clothing but I have color picking because I'm still new to art that has colors is my feelings normal or is it wrong of me? And how do I pick colors because it frustrated me to no end and made me stop drawing for months anyway in short summary how do I color the right way like I guess I know skin tones but anything else goes wrong and the other summary is how do you draw clothing because I can't for the life of me get clothing right

don't worry - it's normal to get frustrated when drawing. i know i've literally quit and deleted entire illustrations in the past because i didn't like how the colors came out, and i can spend whole hours just choosing base colors TwT i think the important part about learning art is not to rush. i'm seriously flattered you see me as inspiration, but what worked best for me back when i heavily referenced other artists was "mixing" styles together to create a "new" one - so i'd recommend studying and copying multiple artists you like and trying to blend their styles into one if that makes sense! ^^

hating color picking is completely normal when you're first starting out, and even late into art like i said before - i've been making original digital art on ibispaint for about 5 years now, and it's still difficult. but it's easy to make it fun, and the best way to do that imo is to experiment! i'd recommend studying color theory on a larger scale, and understanding how certain colors might look completely different based on where you put them. or maybe make an illustration and color it in a bunch of alternative ways! also, having "bad" or "awful" color skills starting out is OK - i still think my colors suck sometimes even now lol.

anyway, the best way for me to color pick is to just use that color for whatever the OG artist used for their art. let's use alex ahad as an example because i find his art and color use super interesting -

i don't usually color pick, but when i do, i typically start with picking the eye color. then, based off of the eye color, i chose a base color based on the character's color pallete (easier of the eye color is already close to the main color of the character, which for clyde is turquoise).

then, i pick more colors directly from the reference, for stuff like skin. at this point i have a good idea of the colors i want to use and stop color picking from the ref, but there's no shame if you still feel you need to.

after that, based on the colors i picked, i'll color in the rest of the piece. i usually end up changing the colors that i did take from the reference due to experimenting - for me, i just use color picking as a sort of stepping stone for when i'm not sure how to color a piece the exact way i want.

eventually, you can learn to color pick by eye rather than with the picking tool in your art program, tho that takes a lot of knowledge on color theory.

really there is no "right" way to color, especially for skin imo - don't limit yourself to just peach, tan and brown. clyde's skin is bright white, but i still used a yellowy color here because it was relative to the other colors in the piece. i've also used "alien" tones for human-toned characters in the past before!

and about clothing folds - i can make a full post on that if anybody else is interested OuO

[yakdee]

Drunken Kisses & Mixed Feelings cont'd

In my last post, I talked about how Kawi's penchant for kissing Pisaeng while drunk might lead to the argument that prompts Pisaeng to say this line:

To my point, @captain-xandis dropped an absolute gem of an analysis in the tags about this scene:

#i totally think this is why kawi stops pisaeng from kissing him in the past #their argument in the future might go along the lines of 'every time we've kissed you were drunk' or something like that #and kawi not wanting to make the same mistake again will only kiss p when they are both sober

This sent me spiraling so I'm hopping back on the meta train once more. Wanna come with? Stand clear of the closing doors. The next stop is...

Why did Pisaeng go AWOL?

Max tell us that Kawi knows/is the reason why Pisaeng goes off-grid, but we never get an exact answer. So here's my two-point theory.

Emotional Exhaustion

In the scene before the second drunk kiss, Pisaeng remarks that Kawi hasn't been free to hangout in last three years? Well, that got me thinking. During the last three years, has Kawi only gone to find Pisaeng when he's drunk and in need of comfort (and kisses)?

Being someone's "comfort zone" can be emotionally exhausting, especially when there is no reciprocity and the comfort-seeker is your longtime crush who is currently in a relationship with your childhood friend. Needless to say, the internal conflict and resulting emotional toll is strong in this one, which brings me to the second point.

Guilt

We know from the 8-year flashback scene (anniversary of Pisaeng's confession) and Pisaeng recalling the day Pear broke up with Kawi that he goes to their apartment often (he even has a key card) which is why this look between him and Pear gave me pause.

Pisaeng's facial expression goes from slight shock to what looks like guilt when he realizes that Pear is leaving. On the other hand, Pear's body language (the way she releases and tightens her grip on the suitcase handle) tells us that she's angry but not surprised by Pisaeng showing up at this exact moment (the fact that she's standing between the two of them in this scene also says a lot).

Then we see her facial expression. She is visibly angry but there's something else. She definitely knows about Pisaeng's feeling for Kawi and their more-than-friendship situationship (her knowing about Kwan and Not alludes to the fact that she's always aware of what goes on behind her back).

And if that wasn't enough, when Pear leaves the apartment Pisaeng ends up being flanked by Kawi on all sides but is closer to a larger-than-life picture of Kawi while the real Kawi still remains (romantically) out of reach like he's been for the past twelve years.

It's no wonder our boy needed to get away. It no wonder he was feeling conflicted during that second kiss. It's no wonder that he will finally reach his limit and cut Kawi off?

And as @sparklyeyedhimbo points out in their post, it's no wonder Kawi is so distraught when returns to the past and is determined to "set everything right" because he simply cannot bear the thought of losing Pisaeng again.

Is it next Friday yet?!!

[the-heart-of-a-monster]

Before I begin, I wanna say that I already sent an ask that was an unfinished version of this. I had to painstakingly go into Google Docs and copy/paste all my writing/theorizing on here because for some reason when I write a slightly long ask my tumblr just has a meltdown. I meant to delete that first ask and send this one instead, but I couldn’t see anything because of said meltdown and accidentally sent it. Hope you see this finished version instead! Would be really embarrassing if you didn’t…

So yeah. Everything after this is copy-pasted and then continued from the unfinished version. Thanks for your patience!

———

Yes yes, I’m back! I disappeared again for a while but I have returned once more to offer my theories and thoughts! And oh boy do I have thoughts…

Okay so first off I wanna disregard what I said last time about Sonic asking for Shadow to come inside earlier because uhh… Idk what I was thinking. Wow. Hot take from me lol. Guess I was losing the hype from rereading the page a buncha times in a row or something, because I don’t know what I was implying with that. So uh yeah sorry about that I guess.

Anywhizzle with that thankfully out of the way, I can continue on to the meat of these new pages! Sonic himself.

Bro needs himself a snickers-

I’m kidding, (No I’m not) but with jokes aside, this page just gave us something huge! Not only can Sonic transform in the daytime now with limited shade, but he can also transform if he feels just the slightest bit of negativity/anger, and he also doesn’t even turn into a Werehog anymore! He’s gone full Gaia mode now! He honestly looks like a coyote mixed with a wolf if you squint. Pretty cool! But this honestly just opens up so many more doors for so many more questions! What does this mean for Dark Gaia? Will it affect Chip? Can Sonic turn back into his hedgehog self? If so, is it based on a time limit, his emotions, or can he turn back whenever he wants to? Does he even know that he’s transformed yet? Does he know it’s him? AAAAAUUUUGHHGHHH SO MANY QUESTIONSSSSSSS!!!!! 😫

I do also wanna say that Sonic is so definitely right. I don’t really remember what Shadow said, but I do know it wasn’t this. Instead of Sonic ignoring his problems, now it’s Shadow, and that’s the exact opposite of what this whole entire comic has been about. Throughout this series, Shadow has always been the more level-headed of the three, (Sonic Chip and Shadow) and he was always the one to help Sonic get through the night when he transformed into the Werehog. I think he even wanted to spill the beans to someone once or twice, but refrained because he just couldn’t do that to Sonic. Pretty sure I’m remembering things wrong on that front though so. But you get the idea. Shadow ignoring his behavior and ignoring Sonic after everything they went through together… It isn’t like him. Yes, he’s a loner. Yes, he’s pretty edgy. Yes, he’s an idiot. But he isn’t stupid. He isn’t ignorant. Shadow is not like this.

Now Shadow trying to explain away his anger and behavior towards Sonic and his distance by saying “Oh, well, I just got really pissed and I lost control.” But then Sonic hits him with the Uno Reverse and transforms into his new Gaia form right in front of his face, snarling at him and getting all angry in front of the ebony hedgehog, hardly saying anything but a few clipped words. Sonic sees the hypocrisy in Shadow’s words and is not about to let him live it down. He sees the guilt, sees the negativity, and knows.

Which is why, when he turns into probably the scariest version of himself so far for the first time ever, he doesn’t scream or howl in pain or act irrational about it. Sonic, despite everything that’s been going on, remains in control of himself and his actions. He stares down at Shadow and says “And…?” As if he’s making a point. Like he’s calling someone out for their crimes or whatever. And he is. To Sonic, Shadow’s ignorance is like a slight on himself, a quick jab at Sonic’s character. And after everything they’ve been through and after what just happened in the cave, the blue blur ain’t gonna take such an insult very well. But again, despite his anger and despite himself and despite his brand new transformation, Sonic doesn’t really lash out at Shadow, instead showing him that “Losing control” is not a good excuse. Shadow may have lost control of his body, but to Sonic, that’s just an everynight thing now. He doesn’t care about that, doesn’t care about what Shadow looked like or how he felt, and instead cared about his actions.

I’ve been going on and on for a long while now with my “Sonic still is going to hide his emotions and feels like crap and still feels bad about himself” mantra, but this scene in particular is making me reconsider that. I feel like before all this happened, Sonic wouldn’t do what he just did now. I don’t think he would be so blunt/careless. I mean he isn’t being careless, there just isn’t really a better way to explain it. Beforehand, Sonic would’ve believed such an excuse and would’ve been like “Oh yeah I guess that makes sense.” But now he seems a lot more controlled, a lot more in his element. He seems more like himself. 

Despite everything, it’s still him.

So maybe Sonic is learning. Maybe Sonic is growing. Maybe he’s finally understanding that he’s still himself and that he doesn’t have to hide. Or maybe I’m being too hopeful and sleep-deprived to really get the true message. I don’t know. 🤷‍♀️ 

All in all, this took me half an hour to get through due to technical difficulties and because I had to put my sleep-deprived brain to work for this one so I am gonna leave it here and brush my teeth. Thank you so much for reading this hunk of junk, means a lot to me! Have a great day/night!

(I’m also so excited for the next page lol)

by chaos, despite everything, it’s still him.

[dreamlandreader]

Foolish Fire

Chapter One: Little Lights

Merry Christmas! I’m here to deliver one freshly baked fic for the incredibly lovely and wonderfully talented @popjunkie42-blog for the @acotargiftexchange 🫱🏻🎁 Surprise! I’m your Secret Santa! ♥️ I’ve loved chatting with you over the past couple of months! I hope you love this fic as much as I’ve loved every minute of writing it.

Click HERE if you would prefer to read on AO3 Content warnings - Suggestive conversations, bad language and public displays of fae affection 🔥

Word Count - 3201 Words

“Absolutely not, Feyre. No way. Not a chance!” Rhysand insisted for the third time in less than an hour. He may love his mate to the end of his existence and beyond, but his patience was becoming increasingly limited.

It didn’t help Feyre’s case that she was attempting to have this rather alarming conversation whilst Rhys was turning his office upside down, trying to locate an important document that had escaped his attention.

“Why not?” Feyre begged, bouncing her son energetically on her hip and following Rhys across the room as he frantically searched through his neatly arranged files, papers flying everywhere.

“I am not spending a weekend in the woods with half our inner circle, a toddler, and Lucien freaking Vanserra!” Rhys huffed.

“Okay, first of all, it’s not half the inner circle; it’s my sisters and their mates - one of whom happens to be your brother!” Feyre stated plainly, rolling her eyes at her mate’s usual dramatics. “Secondly, I thought you and Lucien were okay now?”

“Well, yes, okay to share dinner and a drink with, not to huddle around a campfire, darling”, he groaned.

“Daddy’s grumpy,” Nyx said to Feyre, hiding a giggle behind his tiny hands. Rhys stuck his tongue out to his son, of course, he would take his mother’s side. The cheeky baby just blew a raspberry back in response.

“I really think this could be good for us, Rhys,” Feyre tried again, ignoring her two boys’ antics and glancing over at her mate’s desk. “I love our lives, and the responsibility we have for this court, but even the High Lord and Lady need a break from time to time. We’ve barely seen each other the past few weeks,”

Feeling the twinges of guilt starting to gnaw at his gut, Rhys looked from his son to his wife just in time to see her pull the exact paper he needed from his desk with knowing eyes. He supposed he had been overdoing it a little the last month or so. Sighing, he reached for the paper with one hand and hooked an arm around Feyre’s waist with the other. 

“I know things have been busy at the moment, but once this treaty is drafted and we’ve managed to convince everyone to sign it, then I’m all yours again, darling,” 

“You need a break, Rhys,” Feyre sighed. 

“When I do eventually go back to it, I’m able to see exactly what I need to do to make it work better,” Feyre said gently, looking at Rhys with such care and warmth in her eyes. “Clearly, all this extra work has your head muddled if you couldn’t find a paper right there on your desk. Give yourself a break, and come back with fresh eyes. The treaty will be all the better for it.”

“And what about Nyx? We can’t take him off into the woods. He’s too young,” Rhys replied, stroking his son’s cheek as he looked at his father with such innocent and loving eyes.

“Mor said she will happily babysit for a couple of days,”

“Aunty Mor! Aunty Mor!” Nyx squealed, clapping his pudgy hands together in excitement.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you, baby? A whole weekend with Aunty Morrigan,” Feyre said to her son, tickling his round tummy.

Rhysand walked over to his plush velvet couch and flopped down theatrically.

“But why can’t we just throw him an obnoxiously large party like a normal Fae male. Why does it have to be in a forest?”

“Because Elain wanted to plan something special for the first birthday he’ll celebrate as part of a mated couple. She knows he loves the outdoors and thought it would be a great opportunity for us all to go on a family trip. Please, Rhys! Do it for me!”

“Oh, for caldron’s sake! Fine. But I’m not sharing a tent with Cass, no matter how much he begs!” Rhys insisted, giving his mate the most adorable of pouts.

Two weeks later, with a backpack full of supplies and her mate in tow, Feyre sludged through the thick mud and jumped over the tree roots which lay intertwined on the forest floor. Rhysand followed behind her, much less enthusiastically clambering through the woods, a solemn look upon his face, as his wife continued to drag him by the hand, and they fell behind the rest of their group.

Lucien and Elain were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, leading the group with an impressive energy that Rhys believed could only be explained by their newly formed bond. No one could possibly be that excited to trudge through the woods, he thought. Bouncing along the woodland route, Lucien had not stopped talking for the five hours they’d been walking. Elain was practically skipping alongside him, giving him her most rapt attention.

In typical fashion, Cassian and Nesta, who lingered in the middle of the pack, had spent the day jumping between arguing uncontrollably and restraining themselves from ripping each other’s clothes off. Rhys swore to himself on hour three that if he caught one more scent of their arousal upon the wind, he would winnow himself and Feyre right back home, damn the consequences.

Elain had chosen the Erebus forest on the border between the courts of Night and Day because it was known for its beautiful pathways and glittering lakes. The trees were still lush with leaves despite the autumn days creeping in, leaving the landscape rich with burnished gold, deep russet and warm copper foliage. The most extensive woodland in the entirety of the Night Court, the Erebus forest was the centre of a vast amount of local folklore, much of which Rhysand had been told by his mother in childhood. Tales of devious tricksters and terrifying beasts that prowled the woods were passed down through generations of Night Court young. As the High Lord over this territory, though, Rhysand had never found evidence to suggest that these stories were anything more than myths which warned children against getting lost in such a dense forest.

Elain had chosen the Erebus forest on the border between the courts of Night and Day because it was known for its beautiful pathways and glittering lakes. The trees were still lush with leaves despite the autumn days creeping in, leaving the landscape rich with burnished gold, deep russet and warm copper foliage. The most extensive woodland in the entirety of the Night Court, the Erebus forest was the centre of a vast amount of local folklore, much of which Rhysand had been told by his mother in childhood. Tales of devious tricksters and terrifying beasts that prowled the woods were passed down through generations of Night Court young. As the High Lord over this territory, though, Rhysand had never found evidence to suggest that these stories were anything more than myths which warned children against getting lost in such a dense forest.

Rhysand’s poor mood was punctuated by the slow and steady drip drip drip of rain. “I knew this was a terrible idea,” Rhys mumbled, slicking his damp hair out of his eyes.

“Rhysand!” Feyre exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks with a venomous look in her eyes and raindrops dripping off the end of her nose. “You survived the blood rite, have fought in some of the deadliest battles in Prythian’s history, and have literally been brought back from death, yet a bit of rain is sending you over the edge?”

Rhysand looked at his muddy feet, raindrops dripping from his eyelashes in shame. He may be hating every moment of this trip, but he could not stand the thought of letting his wife down.

“I didn’t have a choice with those things. I did them to survive. This is supposed to be … fun,” he grimaced, shivering on the spot. “Why can’t we just winnow to a camping spot?”

“You know why. Lucien and Elain have asked we do everything authentically. No magic.”

“Urgh,” he groaned like a petulant child.

“Rhys, I love you so much, but I need you to stop whining! You’re driving me mad,” Feyre begged, feeling dangerously close to the end of her tether.

“Hey, I think this would be a good place to stop and set up camp,” Lucien shouted, interrupting Feyre’s tense glare. Replacing her frown with a smile, she once again grabbed Rhysand’s hand and dragged him along.

It took Rhys and Feyre roughly forty minutes to pitch their tent. Twice as long as Cassian and Nesta, who, after high-fiving and giving one another a delighted grin, sat back and critiqued everyone else’s technique.

The copse of trees under which they set up camp didn’t do much to shield them from the rain that was teaming down in buckets. Still, once the storm began to subside and a fire was built, they could at least start warming themselves.

Rhysand had decided for his mate, and his mate alone, he would try to seem more enthusiastic. So when Lucien suggested he could teach the other two males how to catch fish from a nearby river with their bare hands, Rhys was the first to roll up his sleeves and jump in the freezing water.

Feyre and her sisters, who chose to watch in amusement from the edge of the water, did not even attempt to stifle their laughter. After all, you rarely get front-row seats to watch the High Lord of the Night Court and his general splash around aggressively in water to bolster their male pride.

Lucien was successful in his endeavour and caught a good amount of sizeable fish, which would easily fill the bellies of the entire group. Cassian and Rhys, however, were slightly less successful. Cassian had managed to catch a fish, but it was barely as big as his thumb. Rhys, on the other hand, had caught everything but a fish. An old boot, several empty bottles of fae wine and numerous twigs now lined the bank of the river and stared mockingly at Rhysand, who was beginning to doubt his own skills.

Feyre was right. He had survived much worse conditions than this, he’d even been through much more severe forms of camping than this. During the blood rite, he had been separated from his brothers and had to fight his way back to them, all whilst trying to keep himself alive in the process. He hadn’t thought twice about it back then. He was getting too comfortable with his life in Velaris. Getting used to the calm of a post-war Prythian. Yes, he and his mate had piles of work to keep them busy, treaties to sign, and alliances to make, but all in all, they were in an excellent position, a period of great contentment. That thought made Rhysand’s stomach squeeze. He should not, could not, let himself get complacent.

From then on, Rhysand decided to utilise this trip as an opportunity to re-engage with his survival instincts. Perhaps he could even learn a trick or two from his Autumn Court companion. He would never admit it to Lucien, but some sly observation of his obvious skills would harm no one. And, if his active participation in the group kept his mate happy, then Rhys was even more convinced to oblige.

With his newfound vigour, Rhysand pulled Feyre into his lap whilst dinner was roasted over the campfire. Her suspicions about her mate's sudden change of heart soon disappeared as the fae wine that Elain had snuck into her travel sack began to flow, and laughter echoed around the campsite.

A few hours later, giddy from the wine and encouraged by the slowly setting sun, Rhysand dipped his head into the crook of his mate's neck and began to plant gentle kisses against her soft skin. Within seconds, Feyre turned in his lap, eyes alight with craving, and her lips pressed against his own. His hands slid down her spine and cupped her backside as he let out a low groan.

Just as Rhys slipped his tongue between Feyre's parted lips, the lovers were jerked harshly back into reality by an unamused Nesta.

“For the love of the mother, please stop before I puke up the remains of dinner,” Nesta drawled, giving her sister a pointed look.

“Oh come on, Nesta, as though you and Cass haven’t been giving each other sex eyes all night,” Feyre laughed, as Cassian shrugged in agreement, and Nesta elbowed him in the side.

“At least we are holding back until we get to the tent,” Nesta retorted, raising one eyebrow in a blatant challenge.

Although the sisters were debating who the horniest couple was, there was none of the bitterness that used to linger between them. Since Nyx’s birth, Feyre and Nesta had worked on repairing the fractured parts of their relationship, and though things had been tentative for a while, this sisterly teasing was a clear step in the right direction.

Rhysand’s heart swelled for his mate. He knew just how much this newly developing relationship meant to her, and from the warm smile radiating from his brother, he could tell it meant a lot to Nesta, too.

“All that steamy smut you read and your sister sharing one kiss with her mate is sending you over the edge?” Feyre retorted, a quizzical grin brightening her beautiful face.

“That smut doesn’t require me to watch my sister getting her ass squeezed!” Nesta huffed, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

“Pfft, as if Elain and I aren’t painfully aware that you and Cassian have fucked on every available surface in the House of Wind,”

An awkward cough interrupted the quick retort that was teetering on the edge of Nesta’s lips, and all eyes swung to Cassian, who was rubbing the back of his neck in evident discomfort.

“I hate to break it to you ladies,” Cassian said, low and quiet, as though he was revealing his most precious of secrets. “But I don’t think either of you is the Archeron sister that needs worrying about!”

Nesta and Feyre, along with their mates, all readjusted their gazes towards Elain, who was sat in her mate’s lap, sharing kisses and sensually moving her fully clothed hips against his. She was blissfully ignorant to her sister’s shock as Lucien’s hands slid up both sides of her dress, and she threw back her head in pleasure, allowing him to kiss down her exposed neck towards her chest.

“Oh gods, that’s enough socialising for today. I’m going to bed!” Nesta cried, almost tripping over herself in an effort to unsee what was now burned deeply into her mind.

“Yeah, good plan. Great plan!” Feyre squeaked, cheeks getting hotter by the second, as her desire to winnow away as far as possible grew exponentially.

Rhysand had to laugh as his mate clumsily hurried away towards the tent. What did she expect going away with a freshly mated couple? Even if the initial frenzy had eased off, the first year of a new bond was filled with passion and numerous instances where all rational thought went out of the window. Even now, three years after his own mating bond was cemented, Feyre and Rhys often struggled to resist each other.

Catching up to Feyre, Rhys wrapped his arms around his mate's middle and tucked his head into her neck, nipping at her earlobe.

“I didn’t know you were so easy to make blush, my love,” Rhys chuckled in her ear.

“I didn’t expect to see my sister dry-humping her mate tonight, that’s all,” Feyre replied, laughing too.

"Let's go for a walk, Darling," Rhys purred.

Feyre turned in his arms, a sly grin on her face as she clasped Rhysand's hand in her own, and together, they wandered deeper into the woods, away from the prying ears of their fae brethren.

Breathless from excitement, Rhys twirled his mate towards him, picked her up and pushed her against a nearby tree. As their lips met, teeth clashing in their eagerness, Feyre scraped her nails against Rhysand’s scalp in the way she knew always made the male shiver with anticipation.

Rhys nipped and sucked at Feyre’s lower lip, sliding his hands under her thick jumper and lazily working them up her body. Tracing the bottom of her lacy bra around to the back, Rhys was moments away from undoing the clasp when a sharp sound perforated the heated silence of the woods.

The snap of the twig had the lovers on instant high alert. Rhys tried to reassure himself that perhaps it was just one of the other couples from their party, who, like Feyre and himself, felt like a midnight tryst under the stars. But then, in the distance, a soft flickering light melted through the frigid black of night.

“What is that?” Feyre faltered, peering around her mate’s shoulder to better see the potential danger ahead.

"I don't know, but it's coming this way. Perhaps it's time to leave." Rhys replied, gripping Feyre's waist more firmly but lowering her to the ground to give her the chance to run if needed.

As the light drew ever closer, it became apparent that the source of light did not come from the lamp of another weary traveller or even as the result of a predator out in the dead of night ready to catch some unsuspecting prey. Instead, it appeared that the glow was produced by a small, illuminated, floating creature.

"Fireflies?" Feyre asked, squinting into the distance. The couple's fae hearing picked up the sound of tiny wings fluttering against the brisk autumn air as the light danced closer.

"No, they look like-"

"Butterflies!" Feyre gasped as dozens of dazzling butterflies swirled around them like autumn leaves on the breeze, leaving a gleaming trail in the path behind them.

Feyre reached out a hand and let out a small laugh as one of the creatures landed on her index finger, its magic bouncing off her own, sending a warm tingle throughout her body.

Then, as quickly as the golden butterflies appeared, they began to drift off and were, one by one, swallowed by the shadows. Only the gentle butterfly on Feyre's hand remained, casting a glow that lit her face with wonder.

Slowly taking flight, the beautiful creature seemed to beckon Feyre to follow it deeper into the woods. Feyre felt in her very soul that it was of the utmost importance that she went with it, and she shared this thought with her mate. Rhysand, however, was uncertain. He scoured his memory for any recollection of a creature quite like this, with luminous wings and a beckoning pull, but he came up short. The only tale he could remember was of the Will-o'-the-wisp, tricky little beasts who masqueraded as distant lamp lights, only to deceive weary travellers into getting lost, often leading them into mortal danger, delivering them to foul monsters who would gladly tear them apart. But, in all the stories he had heard of these characters, they had never taken the form of such placid creatures.

"Come on," Feyre beamed, striding forward, sparkling eyes wide.

"Feyre no!" Rhys replied, reaching a hand out towards her, but he merely blinked, and his mate had disappeared into the inky night.

✨ Click here to head to the series master list ✨

[icespur]

There are not enough Mpreg Parent Akeshu fics

I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed.

it's not like there's zero. There are some, but not nearly enough or I'm not looking in the right tags.

There's especially HUGE missed potential that not enough people utilize.

I've seen wholesome Akiren as a parent. Seems everyone is in agreement he'd be the chillest, awesomest, father.

But what about Akechi?

Goro "I had a bad childhood, no father figure, Mom passed away when I was young leaving me to grow up in either Foster Homes or the closest living relatives the Social Worker could track down. Who took me in but didn't want me. so I grew up to mask my true nature by being polite on the outside and a celebrity to get some form of positive attention, and I tracked down my deadbeat father who I'm going to ruin the life and career of out of spite and vengeance, for me and my late Mother." Akechi.

The man has childhood baggage, who knows how many young children he's interacted with as an adult. So his experience would range from "limited" to "none existent"

If one of these boys wouldn't take to being a parent well immediately, it would be Akechi. Like, the man is having an external crisis, he's not okay.

"I am the LAST person that should be a father. Do I look like fatherly material to you? I can't even recall the last time I interacted or made eye contact with an infant. Maybe I never did! I can do research and read books, I'm good at researching, I'm going to read the books no matter what but that can only help so much. I know what not to do, from my childhood. I'm going to try my best to do the exact opposite of what Shido did, but no parent is perfect, I could still screw the kid up! Not to mention I'm still processing the fact that MY RIVAL HAS A FUCKING FULLY FUNCTIONING UTERUS.

I knocked up my Rival

I knocked up the man I once shot in the head

I knocked---holy hell what have I done?

I've never been interested in Women, so I never thought I'd have to worry about accidentally planting a little me inside someone. Do you realize how many women I have turned down?

So here I was, thinking I'd be safe. That obviously nothing would come from indulging in a night of passion with my frustrating, Idiotic sexy, alluring, Rival.

But once again, you are just full of surprises apparently in the internal organs sense too because you can carry children and now both of us are unironically FUCKED."

"I'm not going to force this on you, I just thought you deserved to know. If you don't want to we can--"

"Pfft, HAHAHAHA. You say that like it's an actual option. Do I need to remind you what my upbringing was like? I'm not repeating the same mistakes, I'm not leaving. Granted you are obviously in a better financial situation and have a proper support group unlike my Mother. But if I decide to leave now, or stay but run later down the line, what's stopping our child from living in a constant internal state of guilt and loneliness, which will eventually evolve into anger and spite and once they're of age to move out, make it their mission to hunt me down and enter a false work alliance so they can gain my trust enough to eventually betray and torture me. Or just flat out kill me. And You know what? I wouldn't blame them! I'd kill me too if I could. I can't let that happen, I refuse to put a child with my D.N.A. through what I went through. So we are moving in and getting married (oh my god, I have to move in and marry my Rival) Because that's what Japanese family laws all encourage. And I'm going to internally pray and wish that I don't somehow manage to fuck up an innocent being that belongs to us, even though I have no idea what I am doing. Did I mention I have zero experience with babies and children?"

Point is, parentGoro! Has so much potential and it should be a crime that there are so little fics exploring that.

[kitxkatrp]

So this is something I actually wanted to post yesterday--but to be honest, I wasn't in the mental state to do so. I might add some of this to my rules if it continues to be a problem, but...

It has come to my attention that I need to explain what a favorite person is, because people are taking offense to me having one and blaming me for things that I have no control over. So I'm only going to say this once, but listen carefully.

When someone has Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder, there is a thing called "favorite personing" people. It is completely involuntary, is not chosen by the person with the disorder in any way, and is in no way their fault, nor is it anything that can be fixed with medicine and therapy doesn't seem to fix the issue either.

So what is it?

A very deep psychological attachment to a person. Usually it happens right after meeting them. Can be romantic, can be friendship. In my case, it's platonic. I met someone, my brain decided to point and say "that's your favorite person" and now unfortunately a lot of my emotional well being relies on interacting with that person. luckily, they have a similar disorder and had the exact same thing happen to them, so we favorite personed each other.

What does this mean? It means that I reply to that person a lot. It means we talk near constantly because my brain doesn't have those social limitations with them that I normally have.

What it does not mean? That I love my other friends any less, am an asshole for something that I have no control over, or that I am being neglectful or mean. I respond when people send me messages, I respond when people send me asks or tag me in things on the dash, I queue things and stuff pops out regularly. I literally do not know what more you can ask of me. And at this point, I truly believe that this shouldn't even be my problem. I've done all I can, and it's not good enough, so if you still feel that way after reading this then I want you to block me right now because I am not putting up with the guilt tripping and the bullshit anymore. From multiple people.

I am /done/.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[good-beanswrites]

oomph i know i'm definitely really early with this ask (changing time zones for vacation is weird o.O) but I was thinking about it over the past few days

for the lights, camera, sing your sins au, are the interrogations somewhat scripted where the prisoner knows what to say and Es is mostly just reactions or questions to that? I feel like we've talked about this but I have forgotten jandjnf o.O

because all i can think about is Es getting beaten up or close to tears in the first voice dramas and man if it's scripted, i feel bad for the prisoners who have to do this to es o.O

Hi Mug :D No worries, a slightly late reply because I was on vacation too haha! 🍂

And I mean it's whatever works best in people's minds, but I always pictured there being very little scripted, actually! I'd hoped that everything was as natural as possible. The prisoners just have to make the little shift to act as if they did follow through with the murder instead of talk about how close it came -- other than that, everything that happens is the characters' honest questions, answers, and reactions.

When explaining the no-violence ban to everyone, Fuuta and Kazui (and later Amane) tell Jackalope how they would think during their interrogations. Jackalope instructs them all how to act in order to stay consistent with the barriers/losing strength stuff. I think the only explicitly scripted action is Mikoto's violence, since Red admits he may resort to that if Blue felt threatened. Jackalope tells him to get to the point of violence no matter how the interrogation goes, as it's necessary (to proving Mikoto's situation, to driving home the central ideas of Mikoto's case, to reveal Milgram's process and 'limits,' etc).

And yeah, it definitely tears him apart to actually do it -- he has to verify that Es signed up for this several times (which they did), and it still takes a lot of resolve to follow through with hurting an innocent kid like that. I imagine that's one of the reasons he's not really upset that Kotoko surprised everyone by intervening: he felt so guilty about the attack and was grateful someone came in to stop it.

Although it wasn't physical pain, Mahiru is also really upset that she brought Es such emotional strain. She thinks it's cruel to fool them into feeling bad for her when she's okay, and it takes a lot of reassurance from the others to convince her it's for the sake of the experiment -- every part of the process has toyed with everyone's emotions, she's not a terrible person for doing so.

Whether in the middle of the trial or the final executions, I think any characters who die next trial will also feel awful for making Es mourn for them when they're still alive. It's not all one-sided guilt, though. It's balanced by anger/sorrow towards Es for condemning them to death in the first place because of their decisions. Any time they get too caught up in thinking "I'm so cruel for tricking them like this," they have a moment of "well, they did specifically order my death, so..."

When I'm looking for a pure fix-it, I'll let those emotions go pretty easily <3 But unfortunately my writer ass is never free from The Themes asdfsdf and sometimes I still get caught up in the project's major focus -- not only is Es facing the original Milgram dilemma of choosing whether or not to follow authority, but now the prisoners are faced with the exact same decision. Do they physically/mentally hurt this child "for the experiment?" Because someone in authority told them to? They're doing this to prove a point about justice and fairness, but where should they draw the line? At what point is it not for the greater good and they are just causing more harm?

I think I mentioned it before but in this au the prisoners are extremely motivated by the promise that this experiment will help others like them. Yuno wants to make a statement about society's views on abortion and sex work. Muu wants to make a difference for bullying victims. Kazui hopes to be a voice for all those who have had to keep theirs quiet about something. Mikoto hopes his story creates more awareness and acceptance for people who are usually terribly stereotyped and feared. Kotoko wants to bring to light the problem of corruption and what can be done about it, and so on. In the end, they can always justify causing a little emotional/physical harm because they are doing it for a good reason.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Molly

The silent, stress-shouldering youngest of a widowed toymaker, eternally-exhausted Molly Blyndeff does her best to occupy as little space as possible in a time where even space is often sought after. Molly spends her days toiling to maintain her family’s finances and keep them above the poverty line, but come nightfall, Bliss Ocean’s goddaughter and errand girl finds an unconventional respite in the operation of a different resource: information.

Background.

Born the younger sister of a prodigious teen actor and puppeteer favoured by their father, Molly is quite used to going through life unseen and unheard, especially after the death of her mother, whom she was closer to than anyone. In the years that followed, she was forcibly thrown the responsibilities of her household and of running their small, family-owned toy business for income’s sake, earning her a necessitated knack for diplomacy and administration.

She first met the illustrious Naven Nuknuk taking pictures with him during one of his PR campaigns, directed towards helping the needy in Sweet Jazz City; where her disillusioned deportment and striking ability to garner sympathy from the press would catch his attention (and later, so would the exact circumstances of her home life). They became fast friends outside of work, and he would later go on to foster, support, and even mentor Molly in her neglectful family’s stead.

Molly’s first real brush with crime presented itself when she inexplicably found herself in the midst of a frantic firefight between one Giovanni Potage’s old gang and the ever-zealous Dr. Sylvester Ashling, and even more inexplicably when she managed to befriend both individuals in the end. Naven’s discovery of this event would mark the beginning of Molly’s induction into Bliss Ocean’s far outer circle, where her skills in subterfuge and gathering intelligence would be put to good use in return for some much-needed additional income.

Relations.

Even before working for Bliss Ocean, Molly had a tight-knit friendship with Trixie Roughhouse and Phoenica Fleecity, both youngest members of their respective legendary families. Her unexpected sibling bond with Dr. Sylvester Ashling and aspiring gangster Giovanni Potage was also the catalyst for her honorary induction into Bliss Ocean, and the two of them have had a major positive impact on Molly’s perception of herself.

Molly’s penchant for diplomacy and general affability has also helped her ingratiate herself with even Bliss Ocean’s inner circles. Detective Percival King and Ramsey Murdoch especially found a sort of surrogate affection for her, supporting and nurturing her as such. Other members of the family—Rick Shades, Mera Salamin, and even Zora Salazar, to be precise—have developed a kinship with the troubled young girl, occasionally providing her emotional (and sometimes physical) support.

Bliss Ocean Report.

Truth be told, I do feel some guilt over involving the young Blyndeff in such a perilous trade, but my avenues for supporting her otherwise are limited, and Molly has made it quite clear herself that she’d prefer it over continuing to endure her current circumstances. Regardless, she’ll only be gathering information and running some small errands; ideally, she shouldn’t ever be in much danger, if at all.

I want to say I was taken aback at just how swimmingly Molly’s taken to her new job, but given her already-tumultuous home life, I’m not sure how surprised by her adaptability I really should be. From her field reports, it seems she has a remarkable administrative talent, able to quickly assess her surroundings and parse out any potential assets and liabilities she sees. And yet, her still-unexplainable ability to elude notice and disappear from view at the drop of a hat has become even more apparent.

After getting to know her better, it’s become rather obvious that Molly hates attention and prefers to appear as unremarkable as possible. But she’s clearly an empathetic person; she knows how people think and see her, and she knows how to take advantage of it. She wields a people-pleasing smile and an aversion to conflict better than many politicians I’ve met, and it’s always a delight seeing her practise her craft in less stressful situations. In fact, I’ve recently taken it upon myself to personally teach her additional communication skills; given time and practice, I believe she could make quite a masterful diplomat.

What troubles me still regarding Molly is her passivity. Her recent years have been more difficult than anyone deserves, and the one thing she has to show for it is an incredibly potent set of skills that could drastically improve her circumstances if nurtured and used properly, but she clearly views them more as a means of survival and protecting herself than as tools for change and gain. But they are tools, very powerful ones, and the fact that her unforgiving home life has forced her to use them almost solely to defend herself saddens me greatly.

If there’s any solace to be had, Molly’s situation is improving, if slowly. She’s bonded quite well with the rest of Bliss Ocean, and I believe those connections are good for her. Giovanni was already encouraging her to use her skills more proactively, something I absolutely advocate for, and Sylvie, Percy, and even Ramsey have taken to supporting her in lieu of her family. Perhaps with time, and with their help, the future will finally see things getting better for her.

- Naven

[pinkpigtailsprincess]

hi sweetie, can i ask you for advice??

i want to manifest a large amount of money (billions, to be exact), but I feel very guilty about it.

i was raised with the beliefs that it is difficult to get money, that we have to work hard for it and I feel bad for not wanting that for myself in my life :/

do you have any idea what I could do to not feel bad about this? (Sorry for any mistake, english is not my first language)

also, i hope that when i manifest everything that i wanted i can send my sucess story 4 u, my fav blogger!! 🩷💞💖💗

Hi! Hi! Anon first i wanted 2 say im like so excited that im ur fav blogger im low key giggling and blushing! 🤭 anyways!!..

i know the guilt thing all too well i could hear that ur letting the opinions of people around you and limiting beliefs influencing the way you feel

for me personally i would recommend reprogramming your mind and not letting outside influence dictate what you believe i have some videos that i think could give you a better understanding!!

1, 2 , 3

you can also stand firm in just repeating affirmations for self concept!! or which ever you prefer

[armentas]

OC Interaction Tag

Thanks so much for the tag, @orphanheirs! I love the idea of an OC playdate <3

Orphanheirs' OC: Tristan is the youngest child of a fabulously wealthy country gentleman in England in the early 19th century. He is the spoiled brat you would expect. 12 years old at the time of the main plot, he's spent his childhood so far sequestered indoors due to chronic medical issues. He's intellectually precocious and knows a lot about a wide variety of academic subjects, but he's particularly passionate about the occult and fancies himself a black magician. He'd previously been obsessed with science, then got frustrated with the limitations it had in the time period and turned to magic. He also loves literature, art, music, and fashion. He's self-centered and arrogant and can be quite cruel. He tends to be duplicitous in the way he acts towards others vs his intentions, and insolent towards adults/authority figures. The lack of affection and socialization in his formative years has made him see others as objects, a means to an end. But he's also curious, creative, and fun loving. If he finds you fascinating or shares your interests, you might get genuine conversation from him- though he might act insufferably entitled to know everything about you/everything you know. He's extremely determined to get what he wants. He recently summoned a demon to help him run away from home, and now he's on his own. (Well..the demon is..still there..) Free at last! (Except for the..pact..) Tristan's a sickly pale and frail looking kid, with blue eyes and dark hair.

My OC: Celio has passionately been a priest for several years, a role that, in the Prodigal world, also bids you massive authority and wealth. Because of that, he has a complicated relationship with authority—unless you're a literal higher-up like a bishop, or someone he deeply cares for, he feels he has no reason to listen to anybody but himself or God. (His own interpretation of God, that is. And as the story goes on, God's guidance seems to conveniently align more and more with what he wants it to.) When he's in the public to give back to his community, he's able to be polite, patient, compassionate, and fair for the greater good, but behind closed doors, he loses control over himself, his severe anger issues, control issues, paranoia, and guilt spirals all on full display. He has a rigid way about him, always adhering to a schedule, which ties into his hardworking attitude—he could be bleeding out and still insist he's fine in favor of getting things done. In general, it's difficult for him to admit to any kind of vulnerabilities, so he doesn't have anyone he truly trusts and is close with. However, he does still enjoy being social and going to social gatherings, even if he doesn't have true friends. He's interested in fashion, which shows in his way of dress, and enjoys both painting and playing piano. He would love to talk to you about his favorite painters and plays :)

How they'd interact: I had to choose Celio as my OC because I think these two would be enemies in the funniest way possible. For one, they have fairly similar temperaments (arrogant, cruel, manipulative) and Celio has the exact lack of self-awareness to meet someone exactly like himself and go "wow, what a prick". They'd just get into fights constantly, and a big reason for that would be Celio's closed off nature. Whenever Tristan is asking about his family or friends or general personal life, he's going to be either giving some witty joke that "answers" it but doesn't actually disclose much, or openly shutting him down. Celio can be good with children when it's a part of his priestly duties, but otherwise, he doesn't have any particular method and kind of just talks to them the same he does to adults, which I think could be affirming of Tristan's intelligence. He's also well dressed with an interest in fashion and art, so there would be a conversation topic there, too, until he sees the whole...demon situation and drops all casualty. He really would not be focused on Tristan himself, and would just be trying to convince him into doing an exorcism and repenting for performing black magic, feeling fear for his future in the afterlife. I assume Tristan might want his help with the demon, but really dislike the whole doom and conversion mentality he has (don't blame him). Overall, I think whether either of them like it or not, though, Celio would eventually become a mentor figure with Tristan, where he tackles his spoiled nature and tries to teach him "the truth of the world" in his eyes: "stay soft, get eaten".

Aaaa I loved that sm, that was so fun! No pressure tagging: @nrivanwrites @finchmomentwrites @lavender-laney @transthadymacdermot and anyone else who'd like to join!

[therealms-number1angirl]

The Demon King Chapters 7-11

05/26/24

Chapter Seven:

Both Han and Raisa having to deal with "oh, no, my best friend grew up and got hot" is actually hilarious.

And then she does the same with her own son 😖

Something, something, the garden turning into Raisa and Amon's spot to Raisa and Han's spot, something, something

Amon is such a dork, I wish this part of him lasted longer 🤧

I feel so bad for her. All she's ever wanted was a FRIEND 😭 (remembering what happens in that same garden about a year later 🤧)

The Byrnes are so smart, if only people (marianna) listened

Oh, sweetie...

If you follow my blog, you're probably aware that I am NOT a raimon fan. And this is one of the reasons why they didn't work and why they will NEVER work. He'll always view her as his superior in a way, and she'll always be able to pull rank on him, just as he accused her of doing even at Oden's Ford. It's their dynamic, and it's the way of their friendship, but it doesn't make for a healthy romance.

Raisa, go girl, do ur thing 🤭

It's funny that Raisa became much more enjoyable as a character to me the first time around when she was able to make a few of her own choices. She got to taste freedom for the first time, and it helped her grow up.

Hanson, your time is coming 🤭

Chapter Eight:

HOW DARE CINDA WRITE THIS WHEN SHE ALREADY KNEW THE ENDING 😤

Also, he was such a girl dad already, i can't 😭

FIRST JEMSON APPEARANCE!!!

don't think about flamecaster, don't think about (how jemson outlives han bc history repeated itself) flamecaster, don't think about flamecaster-- MAKER HELP ME, CINDA WHHHYYYY???

Do you think that she ended up not going that route so that the parallels between hanalea/alger and raisa/han wouldn't be SUPER obvious?

Everyone still thinking that Han is streetlord 🤦‍♀️ poor cat, my girl never gets her accolades.

AMON!!!

Their friendship means a lot to me, okay?

Chapter Nine:

Another Vega mention, another "fufufufufufufufuf--" note <3

Raisa's family is so complicated, she's being pulled in every which direction, my poor baby girl 🤧

Genuine question, is a mother guilting you about the fact that they will one day die NOT a normal conversation topic?

Does everybody's moms suck in this world? Except for dancer's ofc... like, raisa really was just doing the best she could with the examples that she had.

Just learned that cennestre apparently means 'mother'? ELENA DOES NOT DESERVE THAT TITLE!

Nobody is on my girl's side, WHERE IS HANSON ALISTER WHEN YOU NEED HIM???

Chapter Ten:

Okay, so I will admit that when I read Chapter Ten six years ago, I had been starting to get worried that i had misread the point of the story, and raisa and han weren't going to be romantic pair. and i do remember thinking that if raimon was all i was going to get, it would be okay... dear, maker, am i glad that that did not turn out to be the case <3

I wrote a rain fanfic with this exact premise 😭

Another reason raimon doesn't work romantically is Amon's first priority is to the line, not the specific queen. Yes, he cares for raisa, but he won't let that win out on his sense of duty, even back when he was just a corporal.

RAISA HEARING ABOUT HER FUTURE HUSBAND 🤭 (yes, i really am that desperate for rain crumbs, how did you know?)

Chapter Eleven:

I FORGOT THAT WILLO WAS IN THIS CHAPTER OMG 😭

Was Dancer trying to use wizard healing on Han? Was that the vibe i was getting here?

well... that part wasn't... totally false...

Wait a minute, was this on purpose?

There's something very special about this relationship too, okay?

DON'T WORRY, JEMSON, HE GETS THERE!!!

OFC SHE DOES, SHE RAISED THAT BOY 👏

pausing tonight, bc the next few chapters are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE, and i can only post a limited amount of photos per post.

[seriouslysam8]

While you say that the betrayer was always meant to be the betrayer, I still wonder how much free will there was behind the act. I don't get the idea that the person involved is truly a bad person. I'm still not convinced that there isn't some coercion involved.

It’s so funny because I’m trying to be vague today in my responses on tumblr because a lot of my normal reviewers haven’t reviewed yet so I’m assuming they haven’t read either and I don’t want to spoil anything.

But, I mean, this person joined Voldemort so there is a coercion aspect to it. I don’t think they’re entirely bad, but this is the path they went down.

Spoilers below

But the betrayal initially hit different in my mind. In the original outline of the story, Sirius and Rosamond were going to be fuck buddies. The betrayal, obviously, was what broke them apart. I decided against this because Sirius has already been betrayed in the past. I thought giving him another big betrayal, someone who he slept with and showed him affection and had him debating his exact feelings for her would have been too much for him. I had already planned on the alcohol poisoning, the depression and anxiety, and I thought fucking the enemy unknowingly was too much on the poor guy.

So, Tegan took on that role to help him let off some steam and feel normal again, to help him get used to receiving and giving affection. Tegan isn’t going to betray him like Rosamond did. So, it seemed like a better pairing than my initial plan.

But Rosamond’s brothers are DE. Her husband is a DE. She is surrounded in that DE and pureblood culture. She never escaped it. Now, her son is in the thick of it. So, yes, she could very well just be trying to survive. But her affection for Sirius is limited. She hasn’t been close to Sirius since he was eleven and she was twelve. While they were close as children, they’re not close now. Rosamond used that childhood connection with Sirius to manipulate him. She is, ultimately, one of the few DE who could have Sirius even consider believing them.

Because while Sirius isn’t a dummy, Sirius is in a very bad spot mentally. He’s always felt some guilt and responsibility for what happened to Regulus, thinking he could have done more to save him than he did. While Sirius is in no way, shape, or form at fault for Regulus taking the Mark and dying (he was just a kid himself after all), Sirius can’t help but feel some small bout of guilt and affection for his kid brother. So, when he’s presented with his long lost nephew, he couldn’t help but take the bait. He wanted to know his nephew.

Because if there’s one thing that DE understand about Sirius it’s that he’s loyal. If he deems you as worthy, he will fight tooth and nail for you. He would burn down a fucking village for the people he loves. Voldemort and his DE were counting on Sirius’ buried affection for Regulus to help manipulate him into finding Cepheus and then leading them right to Charlotte and Cepheus.

Now, it’s not for a few chapters that you find out how exactly they gained this information. But you will. Sirius will not know how to process it or even fix the issue at large.