#Forthing the lowest and in the shade

[wildtornado-o]

3 men who I think should go out for drinks together <3

[kabr0ztrousers]

Kabr0z Writes Episode 3: A very bad idea, part 1

Find yesterday's entry here

CWs: usual gratuitous sex scene; demon summoning; serious dubcon, probably noncon when you think about it; heavy cumflation; horror themes; hyper-genitals; it's a lot today, folks

Author's note: Jesus H Christ this one got away from me. It gets good after about halfway but I feel like I spent too long setting up. Ah well, live and learn. I'm also trying something a little new where I'm linking the next few episodes together, so this one, episode 4, and episode 5 will follow on from one another.

There's basically no plot, so do what you want with that, but it's a fun thought.

With that aside, enjoy!

##########################################

It was a bit of a tradition now, whenever Heather was in town you'd get the lowest-rated book on a topic from the internet and take the piss out of it over a few bottles of your favourite red wine. Well, this week the wheel had spun, and landed on Demonology as a topic.

You thought about just saying screw it, and choosing another, but as you browsed the web for a terrible book, you saw it: "My First Book of Shadows" by Creedle and Crabnuts. The store listing alone was comical, from the pictures it looked like it had been printed out at home, badly trimmed to size and haphazardly stapled together. It was perfect. Two minutes later, and £5 lighter, it was on its way, predicted to arrive a couple of nights before her.

You leafed through the book when it arrived, barely a magazine really, and saw it contained what purported to be step-by-step directions to call forth a denizen of Hell, including a list of materials and guides to pronounce the chants.

Something about it... It called to you.

You don't know what came over you, but before you knew it you were walking around the high street, gathering incense sticks, candles, chalk, and a razor-sharp knife.

Heather arrived at your door on Friday evening, you had the house to yourself until at least Sunday afternoon and so we're busy in the living room. Your hands were covered in chalk dust in shades of white, blue, purple and red. The incense smoke was already filling the whole house with heady aromas of bergamot, cloves, camphor and myrrh.

She knocked again, snapping you out of your reverie. Still dressed in your dressing gown (robes are expensive, it turns out) you flung open the door and hugged your friend tight. "I have a surprise for you!"

"What? You've had the place fumigated?" Heather laughed, her voice lilting and sweet in the chill of the fading light.

"Better, come and see" you grabbed her by the hand and took her into the room where your circle lay, half finished, on the laminate floor

"Taken up a cult?" Heather's laughter hadn't stopped yet, then she saw the book open on the floor "Or started without me?" Mock-pouting now as she opened a bottle and started to pour the wine

You lent Heather your other bathrobe and as she pulled it on you couldn't help but see a small pile of her other clothes in the corner. Was she wearing anything under there? You guessed it fits the theme, and you'd been half hoping tonight would take that turn anyway, so you didn't say anything.

Together, you worked on the circle, both on hands and knees to trace the delicate runes and lines onto the ground. A few times Heather's gown rode up and the sight of her pink lower lips told you that, yes, she was completely naked under there.

You finished up, and knelt at opposite sides of the floor, gazing into the circle you'd drawn. Maybe a little smudged in places, but you weren't expecting anything to really happen as you recited the chants. The unfamiliar words felt strange to get your mouth around. As you came to the last few syllables you could have sworn the candles flickered, the incense grew more intense, the chalk lines began to smoulder. You raised the knife in your right hand and drew the point across your left.

That's when you realised your mistake.

The first drops of blood began to boil on your palm. The room became hot, and dry, like a desert wind blowing in your face. Gone were the scents of the incense, replaced with the smell of hot metal, searing meat, ozone, blood.

A noise, somehow the opposite of a bang. A dazzling flash. The guttering candles now ablaze and belching thick, black smoke that billowed down their sides like tar. You could see the fear in Heather's eyes, but neither of you could move. You were transfixed by what had appeared in the centre of the circle.

Too tall, too skinny, it hovered 6 inches off the ground. Spindly legs, 4 spindly arms, pencil-necked and sharp faced. Bald and with curved metal shards forming a shattered halo above its head. It blinked its four angular eyes and spoke with a voice that somehow echoed before you heard it

"Hail! I am Simizel! Viscount of the pit of Ashen Despair, Lord Commander of the seventeenth regiment of the Damned. Who are you to call me?"

You struggled to make any noise, throat dry and gasping for air. Simizel looked around at both of you, then down at the circle below him. "Wait, that's not right" he mused, "That's nonsense, that's spelled wrong, that's right, but in the wrong place, and..."

He looked at you

"It's a little irregular to ask, but what binding spell did you two use?" He was still looking at the ground quizzically as you rose to your feet

"Binding spell?" You croaked, eyes streaming

"Yes, to bind me, you know, so I don't just kill you both and go home?"

His eyes widened and his mouth grew into a wide smirk as he realised what had happened. He reached for the crumpled and charring pamphlet on the floor and skimmed it.

His smirk turned to a chuckle, then a laugh, then a cackle

"By my name! Someone thought they were very clever, didn't they?" He either couldn't disguise his mirth, or wasn't trying very hard "You just copied out any old rubbish and slit yourself open!"

A wave of his hand. You and Heather were floating in front of him now. "I haven't been amused like this in centuries. For being such fun, I'll give you girls some gifts"

He flicked his wrist and both of your gowns burned away, leaving you naked and glistening with sweat and fear

"First, if you want to try this again in the future, do it properly." He gestures at the book and it burns away, replaced with a wax-sealed scroll "That will summon an old friend of mine, just break the seal, read the words, and out he will come"

"Next, I'll make sure I don't leave behind any cambions" His clawed fingers etched patterns into your and Heather's skin. You tried to struggle against the pain, but your body was under his spell. In a few moments of etching, he had carved glowing sigils into the flesh just above each of your pubic bones.

He smiled, almost warmly, "Knowledge, and a boon, normally gifts like these would cost a soul, but I feel generous tonight, so I will simply take my fill of your bodies."

The spell keeping you aloft broke, and you dropped to the floor in a heap. You looked up at him and wondered how you could have missed it: between his pale thighs hung a pendulous, rapidly hardening cock. Your belly began to ache and your mouth water. What had come over you?

You started to crawl over to him, dimly aware Heather was doing the same next to you. Reaching up for this amazing rod as it grew longer and thicker than any human would have, flared at the head like a horse's and knotted at the base. You weren't sure how it was going to fit inside you

You knew you were going to make it.

You started kissing the end, as Heather began sucking on his gravid balls, each one the size of a grapefruit. Simizel cradled your face in his hand, fingers still bloody from marking you, then lifted you up with a gesture.

Upside-down now, you could see a rope of glittering precum hanging from his cock as it pulsed against your lips. You held out your tongue to try and taste it.

As soon as your lips parted it was in your mouth. You felt like your jaw would break. You didn't care. His tongue was at your pussy, licking your clit furiously and making you shake. You tensed up as you came, hips bucking against his face.

He pushed you down. The too-thick cock forcing its way down your throat and making you gag. You couldn't breathe. You still didn't care. You didn't care as you felt somehow even more tongues at your clit, invading your pussy, pushing into your asshole

He started thrusting. You felt as though you could split in half. Some dark power was keeping you conscious as you felt the end of his cock moving up and down in your belly. The thrusting got harder and faster until the knot was driven past your lips and started swelling in your mouth.

His tongues were still at your cunt. Your body squeezing against him as repeated orgasms rocked you. You could feel yourself squirting fluid into his face as he fucked your mouth open even wider

His cock must have been in your stomach now, bottoming out and stuck in you. You could feel it pulsing and could see his balls pumping in front of your face as your belly began to swell with the volume of fluid gushing into you. You tried to scream, in pain, in ecstasy, you're not sure, but the vast mass stuffed inside you prevented any sound escaping.

Heather was still cradling his balls in her hands as she kissed you, licking the base of his cock where it was jammed into your face, tasting where his fluids were leaking out of the sides of your mouth. Her eyes were empty but for lust as she rubbed her hands over her clit, her hips bucking erratically

The knot began to loosen and pull away from you. You felt hands on your hips lifting you from the demonic shaft as it pumped ever more into you, until it slipped free. You saw it hang, still pumping potent demon-seed and painting your friend's naked body in sticky, viscous white as she screamed her way to another full-body orgasm.

The world came back into relief and you realised you were panting and moaning, the tongues bringing you to your peak again and again. Pain rocked your body in between waves of pleasure as you came over and over, cum leaking from your mouth and throat as Heather stood below.

The demon wasted no time, repositioning himself under the two of you on the floor, one pair of impossibly strong hands on your hips as you rode his face, the other positioning your friend's ass over his impossible cock, still leaking and pulsing.

You heard her gasp and call out as it entered her ass, stretching her out and filling her immediately. Again and again he pushed in, her belly growing larger and larger with the size of him and the fluids he emitted. Your orgasmic cried mingled as your mind blanked and you passed out.

You don't know how long it was having its way with Heather, but when you came to you were lay on the floor watching it pull out of her pussy, her ass and throat leaking fluids and her gurgling moans of pleasure filling your ears.

Simizel looked at you and you wordlessly rolled onto your back, legs opened for him. He strode over to you, leaving your friend lying on her side in a pool of his semen and her own squirt.

He loomed over you and pressed himself against your aching hole. You gasped as it pushed in, stretching you around its immense girth. He was at your cervix already, and showed no signs of stopping. You screamed out as it pushed deeper in, lubricating its movement with a neverending stream of thick cum. Your eyes rolling as your orgasm rocked you again and again until he was again at the hilt. You weren't sure how much longer you could take it as he pumped litre after litre into you, the fluids spraying out of you even despite the knot holding him into you.

You passed out again.

This time you woke up and he was gone. Heather was where he left her. Sunlight was starting to eke in through the drawn curtains. You felt your belly, round and full, it sloshed around as you moved towards the bathroom to expel as much of the spunk left in your ass and your cramping womb as you could.

As you stood you felt the mark he left on your skin, it wasn't glowing now but still remained, red and cauterised by the heat of his claws.

You heard movement, Heather was awake and groaning. Her eyes met yours. They were still empty, there wasn't anything there but lurid desire. Your heart dropped as you lamented what he had done to her, before you realised where she was moving to

The scroll

She broke the wax and opened the paper before you could reach her on your shaking legs. She read the words and the walls began to shift.

A purple light suffused the room

You weren't done yet.

[milkteabinniechan]

♡baby, shock me - Chan

MINORS DNI 18+ONLY MEMBERSHIP//M.LIST

pairing: bf! Chan x gn! reader

warnings: slight alcohol mentions, electro-stimulation!! submissive channie (new kink unlocked🔓 poll winner)

summary: A drunken night and the dare of a dog shock collar has Chan discovering that he desperately needs to feel that electric shock below the waist.

“Come on, I’ll do it. I don't care.” Chan’s words were slurred and his face was turning a crimson shade of red. You gave him a sly smile, knowing exactly how he gets when he’s drunk. Reaching a certain point in the night, a peak if you will, Chan begins to feel a surge of what experts call false invincibility. In this state, nothing can hurt him, nothing can affect him, or so he thought.

Seungmin tossed the dog collar over to Chan, momentarily thankful that no one was questioning why he owned a dog shock collar and no dog, and waited for Chan to put it on. Your sly smile turned to a look of concern when you saw the black straps tighten around his thick neck.

“Are you sure this is safe?” You asked Seungmin, who was now turning blurry in your vision.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s at the lowest setting, He’ll be fine.” Seungmin assured you with an undeserved sense of confidence.

You watched as Seungmin held the remote control, Chan giving him a cheerful thumbs up and a “go ahead.” You quickly snatched the remote from Seungmin, not trusting his promise to keep the shock at the lowest setting possible. You locked eyes with Chan, your thumb hovering just over the ON button. You hesitated for a moment, hoping that he would come to his senses, but he just gave you that happy-go-lucky smile. You sighed and pressed the button.

“Jesus Christ!” Chan yelped out, his body reacting instantly to the jolts of electricity now coursing through him. He shot up out of his seat, a jerked motion pulling him upright and standing now. “That’s the lowest setting?” He breathed out, his voice in a shaky tone.

“No, it’s not.” Seungmin laughed, holding his stomach and thoroughly enjoying the chaos he had created.

“Seungmin!” You gave him a firm smack on the back of the head.

As you and Seungmin argued back and forth about how dangerous that situation could have been, Chan stood there, entranced. He could still feel the residual tingles of the electricity. Leaving little speckles of jabs and jolts in his fingers and toes. His heart was still racing, his blood pumping fiercely through his veins. He felt so alive. You pulled away from your argument with Seungmin to see Chan still standing, longingly rubbing the shock collar around his neck. Your eyes wandered down to see the unmistakable twitch of his cock in his basketball shorts. Your eyes widened like saucers at the erotic sight, Chan getting so excited from electro-stimulation? 

Later that week, Chan and you had the whole apartment to yourself. He held you close to him on the couch while the two of you caught up on your favorite television series. The events of the other night still playing in your head like a dirty movie you kept on repeat.

“That shock collar was pretty wild, huh?” you said softly, your head resting on Chan’s chest. You could feel his body tense at your question.

“Uh, yeah… Wild.” he responded almost too calmly.

“Ya know, they make sex toys like that. Ones that give you a controlled shock…down there.” You lifted your finger and pointed playfully at Chan’s cock, that was already starting to wiggle a bit at the thought. No matter how calm his voice sounded, his cock would always give him away. You loved that about him.

“Toys, huh?” Chan’s voice broke a little from nervousness. He couldn’t stop his mind from picturing the sensations that would come with being electrically shocked on his most sensitive area.

“Yeah. Maybe we should try it? Could be fun.” You tried your best to not let your voice sound too excited. You wanted to ease him into this, if this is what he wanted to try. 

After much incognito internet research, the two of you ordered the Deluxe Power E-Stim Box Kit. Chan had seen it as similar enough to the dog collar only that instead of going around his neck, it would wrap around the tip and shaft of his penis. When the package finally, and discreetly, arrived. The two of you just stared at the unmarked brown box together. Soon the waiting became too much and you found yourself ripping into the box and pulling out the contents within. Inside was a hand-held device with a bright display screen that let you choose between eight different stimulation settings. Attached to that were long wires with too different bands at the ends. One band for the tip and one band for the base. 

Chan’s eyes scanned the device as he held it in his hands. Testing the weight and strength of it. Thankfully the bands stretched enough so they seemed that would fit well. He gave you a telling look and you made your way to the bedroom. Chan walked in after you holding his new toy, his heartbeat already picking up speed. You sat on your knees on the floor below him and helped him pull off his pants. He felt a heat start to pool in the core of his abdomen at the sight of you so eagerly pulling at his clothes. His cock bounced and bobbed at your nose, thankful for the freedom. You looked up and gave him a teasing smile, taking the toy from him so you could secure it yourself. The first strap around the base was a familiar sensation to Chan, having used cock rings before. But the next strap laid flush underneath his tip. He felt a shiver shoot down his spine at the sensitive skin being touched and moved so vigorously. You made sure both straps were secure before turning your attention back to Chan. He had the remote in his hand, but he eagerly handed it to you. He knew he wanted you to be the one to push the button, just like you had done with the dog collar.

You held the remote in your hand, a similar rush overcoming you again. “You ready, Channie?” 

Chan gave you a firm nod, his abdomen already flexing and tightening at the anticipation. You turn on the remote and choose the first setting, hitting the START button. 

Charged. Intoxicating. Waves of pleasure moved through Chan’s body like lightning. The sensation was so instant, so tense that he could hardly stand. A loud, guttural noise escaped his mouth at the rousing moment of contact. His legs shook violently as he tried desperately to catch his breath. You pause for a moment, unsure if the power was too much, the voltage too high. 

“Channie…?”

“Again.” His voice dark and husky, his head lowered. He had grabbed the bed next to him for a bit of stability. The look on his face was one of blissed out determination. And you wanted nothing more than to please him. So you did, you pressed your thumb again against the START button as another wave shot through his body. Chan’s cock twitched and jerked in sync with the electric waves crashing into him His legs nearly buckled beneath him as a strangled, raspy moan left his throat. Semen poured from his cock and onto your lap as waves of stimulation continued to smother him in ecstasy. With every jolt, a new rope of semen shot aggressively from his tip and onto your waiting lap.

“...Fuck.” He gasped, hardly able to hold himself upright. “That was fucking incredible.” He exclaimed in a breathless, pathetic whimper. “We have got to do that again…”

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[stubz]

Darn spider monkey

"Tag! Your it!"

"...can we play something else?" huffs Tuk, her tail swishing back and forth in boredom.

"You don't like tag?" asks Marl scurrying back to their large blue friend.

"I do but we always play it! How about a new game?" The na'vi smiles as she sets her little friend on her shoulder.

"Hmmm...I can't think of anything."

"...neither can I."

"Put your foot in for grounders!" shouts one of their teachers in a nearby clearing.

"...grounders?"

"Grounders."

.

"So for those who don't know what grounders is, like Tuk and Marl, it's basically tag but the person who is it closes their eyes when on the...well not on the ground since we don't have a playground here." Explains Max.

"If the person who is it isn't on the ground and shouts grounders then whoever is on the ground is it. Now, if you're climbing high you can keep your eyes open until in a safe spot. But if your peeking to cheat then you have to go back onto the ground, that's called broken dishes."

"Why is called broken dishes?"

"...I have no idea. Anywho! If your tagged but really don't wanna be it then me or Kim will be it instead. Right Kim?"

"I prefer to be the hunter rather then the hunted."

"Got it? Okay! Game starts in 5...4..."

The younglings scattered. Some went straight for higher ground so as to have the advantage of sight while others focused on putting as much distance between them and the human male. Tuk and Marl obviously went for the high ground.

Being as it they were on her home planet, Tuk had a clear advantage in growing up in these very forests, she knew all the best ways to climb and scale these massive trees. Marl while being very small was still a ursa, creatures that typically spend the first 3 years of their life in the treetops. The two friends easily made it up 15 feet of the ground in two bounding leaps.

"This'll be so easy."

"Right? We just have to stay up here and we'll never be caught!"

..

"...this is kinda boring now." huffs Tuk. For 10 minutes they've stayed in the same spot watching their teachers chase the other younglings.

they haven't been ignored but were too far off the ground to be reached. The trunk was too smooth and the branches were too high for the humans. After multiple attempts by Max he gave up and focused on the other younglings.

"I find it entertaining! Go Pollix! GO! He's right behind you!" Marl cheered as the tighalax weaved through trees trying to lose the human. With a burst of speed he dropped down onto all fours and ran under a tunnel of roots.

"Yeah! Too bad mister Max!" the human ran even faster but this time to the right, away from the root tunnel. Tuk raised her brow as she watched him run up to a nearby tree and quickly begin climbing up.

"...Pollix get out of there! He's gonna-!"

"GROUNDERS! Got ya Pollix!"

"Darn it!" growled the cub from tunnel.

"Okay I guess it is entertaining." Tuk smiled.

...

By the 20 minute mark more than half the younglings were tired and sitting in the shade with Max. Tuk and Marl still in their spot. Kim and a few others on the ground running around.

"...wanna change spots?"

"Sure, how about that sunny spot over there?"

"Looks good."

"...wait. They're planning something."

"Who?"

"Kim and Piper." Marl pointed and true enough the adult was whispering something to the child while occasionally glancing towards them...while leaving just the smallest bit of space between them. When the girl smiled and nodded Kim grinned as well and together sprinted towards the tree they were on.

But rather than try and climb it as they had thought they would do, Kim turned and squatted against the tree.

Knee, shoulder, then waiting for Kim to stand, and finally using the adults palms as the final step Piper jumped and grabbed the lowest vine.

Piper was now it.

Piper was now scaling the tree like a prolemuris. The human youngling turned and swung her body in ways that the older humans couldn't and thus helped her go higher and higher.

"...We should start climbing."

"Way ahead of you!"

....

Together the humans managed to tag Tuk as she was a larger target than Marl.

With Kim's help Piper could reach the lowest vine or branch and from there she was set. granted she was not as fast as them but she had knocked down vines for others to climb so as to tag Tuk and Marl, the only two haven't been it yet!

A tragedy that must be corrected!!

The trees were no longer safe for the na'vi or ursa nor were the ground as that was the adult's domain.

While Tuk was bigger than the adult and therefore could outpace her she hadn't realized how committed human adults are to games. Even if it was children's game.

Deliberately Kim would go after Marl, the slower of the two, and make a show of almost catching them. Tuk, not wanting her friend to be it would always try to reach Marl first and carry them away. An abrupt stop would be Tuk's only warning before the human turned towards her and lunged.

If that didn't work then she would use the smallest youngling's affections to her advantage. Thrice she had ordered Anwred and Tarlak to hug her legs thus slowing her down.

"...I'm done..."

"Me too..."

"You guys did good, miss Kim hardly ever uses Piper in grounders." smiles Pollix.

"How does she do that? I mean, Spider, my human friend, can do that too but he grew up doing that. So how does Piper do it?"

"Apparently she has other teachers that taught her how to that and is just one of those humans whose better at climbing than others."

"Yeah! She used to climb miss Kim and mister Max all the time! Right onto their shoulders!" chirped Xw.

"She's a little spider monkey alright." said Kim walking over with said spider monkey clinging onto her back smiling rather proudly.

"...darn spider monkey." muttered Marl while Tuk laughed.

[666writingcafe]

Pride (Part Two)

I didn't expect to be sitting in this jail cell with MC and Lucifer, but it makes sense. Guilty by association and whatnot. Lucifer's pacing back and forth, angrily ranting about our current circumstances, but MC's been oddly silent since we got escorted out the train by security. Sitting with their back against the wall, they have their eyes closed, as if they're trying to go to sleep. I don't know how that would be possible with all the ruckus Lucifer's creating. He's been yelled at twice already to shut up by other prisoners, and yet he still keeps going.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" That would be prisoner number three. "If you and your brothers had just stayed put in the Celestial Realm, you wouldn't even be in this predicament right now! The reason why the Devildom has become so unstable is because of you lot!"

Given the way he's behaved during this entire trip, I'm surprised he doesn't retaliate. Instead, he walks over to the cot and sits down, putting his face in his hands.

"You good?" I ask. No response. "Lucifer?"

"Let him be," MC speaks for the first time in a few hours. "It'll only make him feel worse." I join them on their side of the cell. Their eyes are still closed, but they seem alert otherwise.

"How are you doing?" I ask them. They shrug nonchalantly.

"This has been long overdue for me." Is that why they've not said anything up until this point?

"Look, the flood may have caused some damage, but--"

"I'm not talking about that." They sigh. "In my previous life, I killed a man. He was an esteemed member of the Sorcerer's Society, and I had to sit through a trial. Several people wanted to have me put away, but the judge ultimately ruled that I was acting in self-defense, and so the charges were dropped."

"But you felt like you should have still been punished for it?"

"Among other things, yes. But one way or another, everything gets dismissed or swept under the rug, and I continue to walk free." Suddenly, the temperature of the cell drops significantly, signaling the arrival of one of the ghost guards.

"The demons Mephistopheles...Zephyr...your charges have been cleared," it announces. "You are to be released." On the one hand, I'm glad I don't have to be in this jail cell any longer, but it does worry me that one name didn't get mentioned. However, as soon as I open my mouth, MC hisses,

"Don't say anything." The ghost guard continues,

"Lucifer...Avatar of Pride...for the crime of treason against the Devildom...you are found...guilty. You will be taken to Cocytus...in the lowest depths of the underworld."

"Now hang on a minute--" MC's hand flies up and covers my mouth. I suppose it's to keep me from getting into further trouble, but I don't appreciate being silenced like that.

"Mephistopheles...Zephyr...you will be escorted out of here momentarily. Lucifer...wait for further instructions." The cell warms back up, indicating the ghost guard's disappearance. My vision goes black for a few seconds, and when it returns MC and I are standing outside the building we were in. Immediately, MC nearly collapses onto me, and I quickly wrap my arm around them to prevent both of us from hitting the ground.

"My head..." they mumble, wincing in pain. I've heard of ghost-guided teleportation causing migraines in some people. Thankfully, there's a bench on the near side of the building that's nearly completely shaded by the trees, so I quickly get us over there so that MC can sit and recover in relative peace.

"It's cold," they whisper after a moment. Out of habit, I take my coat off and drape it over their shoulders.

"Thanks." They grab the edges of it and wrap it closer around them. After a few minutes of silence, they abruptly state,

"The others have been captured." That's odd. I don't recall either one of our D.D.D.'s buzzing or ringing, so it's not like anyone would have told them that information.

Unless...

Of course. That would explain why they've had their eyes closed. They saw visions of it happening.

"I know your main priority was keeping me out of there, but I think I have to go see them."

"Understandable. You're close to them, after all. It makes sense that you'd want to say goodbye."

"Not just that." MC takes a deep breath. "I'm going to ask you a question, and it may seem like an abrupt change of topic, but I promise it'll make sense."

"Okay..."

"What color are my eyes?" MC's right; that is a sudden turn from what we were just talking about.

"Brown, I think? I haven't spent a whole lot of time looking into your eyes, but don't they look like a sheep's?" They nod their head, shifting on the bench to face me with their eyes still closed.

"Remember how I said you're a very expressive person?"

"Yes."

"Good. Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to open my eyes, and you're not to say a word. I don't want any attention brought over to us."

"Okay..." What is even happening right now?

"I think something happened to me when Lucifer received his message, and if I'm right, your facial expression alone should confirm it." Another deep breath. "Ready?"

"I mean, I guess." MC opens their eyes, and I involuntarily jump. Any indication of their normal eye color is completely gone, now replaced with a familiar shade of red. I quickly reach in the coat pocket closest to me and dig out a pair of sunglasses to hand to MC. Sighing, they take them from me and put them on.

"As I suspected," they state bitterly. "I apologize, Mephistopheles, but I'm afraid I can't return home in this state."

"No, I totally agree. You'd stick out like a sore thumb." An epiphany. "Is that what the migraine's about?"

"Yes." They abruptly get up and start walking, causing me to briefly jog to to catch up to them and get us going in the right direction. Once the building is far behind us, MC begins talking in a quick, hushed tone.

"In my time, three demons have gained access inside my mind. One was intentional, and the other two accidental."

"And he's one of them?"

"Yes."

"What is he doing in there now?"

"Screaming." A momentary silence.

"Freeing him would make you an enemy of the Devildom."

"I know."

"And the Celestial Realm as well."

"I know."

"Doing this will most likely be a death sentence for you."

"Then so be it." I stop walking and sigh.

"Will anything I say change your mind?"

"Probably not." I take a deep breath.

"Then you're not going down there alone." I grab my D.D.D. and pull up Diavolo's number. He picks up before the second ring.

"Seems like you were expecting me," I tell him after his greeting.

"The brothers have been captured."

"I'm aware. Does the portal in Barbatos' room still work?" A pause, followed by a groan.

"You can't be serious."

"Couldn't talk them out of it." Another pause.

"Then they're not doing this alone."

"That's what I told them. Have the other meet us at the castle. We need as much help as possible to ensure we get out of there alive."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @budbuddnbuddy

[bougainvillea-and-saltwater]

15, 17, B, and 💋 for the OC/ship ask game! :D

AH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK! Thank you so much for asking about my blorbos, so happy to see a new mutual rollerskating! 🥰

I'm going to answer for Jia, my Last Dragonborn, and Miraak, her pathetic love interest!

☀️ask game!☀️

15. First thing they remember feeling proud of

I think, for Jia, her turning point was probably when she killed Alduin. The thing with her is that she has the lowest self-esteem there is. For years, she didn’t believe she mattered at all, and even after she was revealed to be the Dragonborn of legend, she still carried the ‘stain’ of unworthiness in her mind. The fact that she was somewhat green regarding her skills and the capabilities of her Voice at that point didn’t help her confidence either…

But when she killed Alduin? That was another story entirely. When Tsun Shouted her back to the Throat of the World, and she heard all the dragons roaring as one for the World-Eater’s fall and her triumph, when they gave her her dragon name—Shulyolviim, meaning Sun-Fire-Glow—and she was told how the sky itself seemed to blow out as she fought Alduin and all the stars went supernova when she finally prevailed... I think something sparked in her. For the first time, she felt truly proud of what she had done, of having borne the weight of Nirn on her shoulders (even if one of them was broken by that point! ����). 

17. First favorites - favorite color, animal, movie, etc.

Oh, Jia has always had a soft spot for the warm, rich colors of autumn—shades of red, earthy browns, fiery oranges, and golden yellows! These colors are her color palette, too. As for animals, she’s undeniably a bird lover at heart: she has a special fondness for swallows, and she’s also frequently connected to this specific bird for Plot Significance…🥰

B. First impression of each other

OH, EXCELLENT QUESTION. For Jia and Miraak, I think they were unavoidably drawn to each other because of their dragon souls. They’re both neither fully mortals nor fully dragons, the sole individuals that seem to teeter between these two natures. There is an equal Fascination, for sure. Miraak is especially captivated by Jia’s eyes—which is not at all random to their story…👀 

Strangely, they’re both able to see through each other’s proud facade, their snappy back-and-forth or arrogance (or even insults!), they both detect one another to a level that it might seem they have already met somehow… as if they hide in each other somehow…👀

💋 - Favorite "first kiss" scene you've written between two characters

GAH, WHAT ABOUT SHARING THE ‘FIRST KISSING SCENE’ SNIPPET WITH YOU?

“Look at me…” He repeats once more, whispery and gentle-deep, this time in Tamrielic, and he cannot help but revel in her view: for, as much as he feels her shivers underneath his hands, Miraak hopes with his heart whole, that her soul sees behind the words he uttered, unequivocally, clearly, deeply. Or maybe, she can even distinguish the color of his eyes now, along with his renounced humanity—from when he was an ordinary Atmoran young man before he was sold like a slave to the Dragon Cult, before his face was covered by a vacant veneer and he became a stranger among strangers, and, above all, before he was plagued by Herma-Mora and almost transformed himself into a Seeker. “I want to see, to understand,” Miraak tells her, and they are so close to each other that only the sharpest of breaths separate them, and his lips scarcely skim upon hers with every word spoken, “what parts of me have buried themselves within you, or yours in me, because—because you see, I don’t know whether it was worth it, condemning yourself to me, I don’t know—” —but his words are cut off short when she entirely closes their small gap, and she swallows them down with her lips instead.

JUST. THEIR KISSING SCENE. It happened after a Grand Revelation between them and it happened slowly, tenderly, hesitantly, even awkwardly, as both are quite numb and oblivious about love and affection, but they make it happen here because they need it, more than anything in the world…🥹😭 My stupid idiots...

[aliciavance4228]

Seneca, Hercules Furens 46 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) :

"[Hera complains about Herakles :] ‘Nor is earth vast enough for him [Herakles (Heracles)]; behold, he has broken down the doors of infernal Jove [Haides], and brings back to the upper world the spoils of a conquered king [i.e. the hound Kerberos (Cerberus)]. I myself saw, yes, saw him, the shadows of nether night dispersed and Dis [Haides] overthrown, proudly displaying to his father [Zeus] a brother's spoils. Why does he not drag forth, bound and loaded down with fetters, Pluto [Haides] himself, who drew a lot equal to Jove's [Zeus']? Why does he not lord it over conquered Erebus and lay bare the Styx? It is not enough merely to return; the law of the shades has been annulled, a way back has been opened from the lowest ghosts, and the mysteries of dread Death lie bared. But he, exultant at having burst the prison of the shades, triumphs over me, and with arrogant hand leads through the cities of Greece that dusky hound.’"

When your brother allows that one cursed spawn of your husband to take his polycephalic lovecraftian dog, so you decide to end his entire career.

[digittoby]

my commissions are open!!

i dont have a reference sheet yet and my prices are flexible depending on what's being requested, however, the lowest price i'll do for anything is probably $10

i'm offering both 2d digital commissions (sketch, line art, flats, shaded, so on and so forth) and traditional 2d commissions (sketch, line art, flats with alcohol marker)

for the traditional comms, you'd just get a photo, i don't have the ability to ship anything out. i also can do different styles. a comic book-esque style is what i usually do, but i can also do realism and chibi.

below are some examples of my work!

i could really use the money for some upcoming events for my senior year of HS and id appreciate all the help i can get! i really need new shoes 😭 all my sneakers are falling apart

if you're interested, DM me! i prefer messaging over discord so if you do DM me, i'll probably move us there.

[steel--fairy]

drabble -- soulmate au part 10

ao3! yippee!! i didnt realize i had more written!

Wallace dominated the conversation, but Steven didn’t mind. He listened intently to the other man’s words. He clearly knew his city well, pointing out each notable landmark, telling Steven its history and several fun facts before moving onto the next. It didn’t stop at famous landmarks either—Wallace seemed to know every nook and cranny of the city, having some story or anecdote about even the plainest of locations they passed.

After the initial release of the magazine, Steven had searched Wallace up online. Despite his insistence that things happen at their own speed, he wanted to know more about the man who was his supposed soulmate. Every interview painted Wallace as a charming, charismatic speaker who always knew exactly what to say, but it was different to be on the receiving end of it in real life. To be the only one given a sly grin and a wink as Wallace finished a story about how he met some person at some diner and did something.

Steven looked away, feeling his cheeks heat up. This was far too much attention to be lavished on one person.

Slowly, Wallace led them up and away from the main city streets. The lowest level of Sootopolis was the oldest and, nowadays, the most tourist filled. They left behind chic cafes and sprawling museums for a more residential area. Gardens littered the roofs of the buildings here, growing food instead of decorative flowers.

Wallace weaved between two indistinguishable houses and suddenly they were in front of a dark opening. For the first time, Steven pulled ahead of Wallace, ever eager to see a new cave.

“What’s this? I wouldn’t think there would be any sort of cave or tunnel-like structures in Sootopolis. The foundation of the crater wouldn’t be able to support many—”

Wallace laughed, breaking Steven out of his focused reverie.

“Oh, sorry—”

“Don’t apologize.” Wallace waved him off with a smile. There was a strange gleam in his eyes. “You’re mostly right. There aren’t many of these tunnels. They were created back when Sootopolis was first settled, before they realized what a poor idea it was to go digging so low in the foundation.”

“Fascinating.” Steven turned to stare at the dark cave. “I assume this is where you meant when you said you knew a place that possibly held Moon Stones.”

“Mhm.”

Steven rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He wanted to dash away and go caving, but he didn’t want to be rude to Wallace.

Another laugh erupted from Wallace. “Oh, go ahead, already! I can see you tugging at your leash.” Steven didn’t need more encouragement. With a smile and thank you, he left the hot Hoennian sun for the cool shade of the tunnel.

[annabtg]

Fanfic Self-Appreciation

Stole this from @artemisia-black and @merlinsbudgiesmugglers, because I haven't been writing lately and I think I need to treat myself a little.

Ten favourite lines (or paragraphs) from ten of my lowest kudos'd fics, with no links - because this is not about raising a fic's stats, but about celebrating the work I've written over the years despite its lack of popularity and - as I realized when I found out it was hard to find lines I unapologetically love in some of these fics - learning to be kind to myself! Most of these snippets are from old fics, and looking back to one's own writing can bring forth terrible amounts of cringe - but I encourage everyone, myself included, to take pride in their older works and find the beauty in the simpler, less refined, more innocent writing. :)

Feel free to copy, borrow and tailor this concept to your needs and tastes! The idea is to learn to appreciate our writing despite our hang-ups, whatever those may be!

Cut for length:

1. And then the green jets of light come again. Simultaneously, this time.

2. They need both. The traitor will come back for his creature, they know – and Bellatrix will be ready for him. He's no match for her. Too arrogant, too surrendered to his emotions to be a dangerous opponent. Too dedicated to the filthy creature's earthy charms. What idiot would value carnal pleasures over the pure light of magic?

3. There's also green like jealousy. It's when he sees Lily Evans hand in hand with that idiot, Caradoc Dearborn, and the next time he looks into the mirror, he sees that his skin has a light, puke-coloured tint.

4. Tonks had refrained from sitting beside him on the bench. She had sat on the back of it, steadying herself by keeping firm grip on it with both hands, absently swinging her legs as she watched for suspicious movements in the nearby streets. Her hair, now a little longer than usual and coloured a dull brown that matched his – it was uncanny how different she looked in it – swayed slightly with every movement she made. He had a lovely view of her profile from where he was sitting, when he turned to look at her; the evening sun passed through the thick leafage of the oak trees and doused her in shades of orange and pink.

5. Of course it’s not any help. What help can a small stick made of paper and tobacco possibly be? What comfort can it offer, when its life ends merely ten minutes after it begins? It has no soul, no understanding. It can’t stop the tears that start streaming down my face. But I put it in my mouth and breathe its bitterness in anyway. As long as I’m drowning my sobs under the thick layers of its tar, as long as I don’t bury my face in my hands, as long as my mind is so intently concentrated on the burning tip of the cigarette, as long as exhaling doesn’t come out like whispering his name, it’s not really crying.

6. He kept watching them, sulking, making plans on how to avenge the offence. Sirius, sitting next to him, was sulking too, as a means of supporting his friend. Remus was watching James warily; he knew him well enough to know he wouldn't let Barbara get away with what she'd told him. As for Peter, he was searching for another argument to convince James he shouldn't get upset over it. The previous six hadn't worked.

7. They say that opposites attract. Perhaps that’s why James Potter, loud by principle and overly energetic by definition, feels so drawn to Lily Evans. There’s something about her quiet demeanour, something so foreign to him and, for that reason exactly, so mystifying. Wrapping his mind around the idea of someone being so serene of their own accord is impossible. To him, Lily Evans is impossible.

8. He pretended to return to his book, but couldn't help watching her with the corner of his eye as she walked in, dressed in a bright green Muggle top, blue jeans and colourful sneakers. She was... loud, in all aspects. The first thought that had crossed Remus's mind upon seeing her, was that this was a girl that could never go unnoticed. Whether that was because of her styling choices, her wit, her perkiness or her destructive clumsiness, though, he couldn't tell for sure.

9. “But I could let you go to hell for hating on my son,” he says, raising a threatening finger.

10. “We all deserve love, Remus. It’s not an award we earn for not being werewolves.”

[estrogenpatchnotes]

Dying was not a peaceful experience for Shadow the Hedgehog. Whether the unpleasantness of this particular death was unique to the hedgehog, or if it was due to the nature of its well earned demise is a matter of debate for scholars of all inane and overly narrow subjects.

The long trip down the Styx eventually deposited the Hedgehog where all eventually find their way, that place in which all mortal souls face judgement, the House of Hades. In landing at its entrance, the quilled menace was greeted with the visage of the ever eager Hypnos, brother to death, lord of sleep.

Hypnos

“Wowzie, wow! I’ve never seen a creature like you emerge from the Styx before. And it says here you disintegrated from atmospheric re-entry? Have you tried not leaving the atmosphere to begin with?”

Shadow

“Leave me alone to die.”

Hypnos

“No can do buddy, you’re already dead!”

The recently vanquished Hedgehog was puzzled by this declaration. While it had sent many souls down to Hades, it was not aware of anything that lay beyond the veil of death. Indeed it seems that of the very few things it had learned in its brief time walking the earth and traversing the lowest heavens, it had failed to consider the nature of its own mortality.

Shadow

“Dead…”

Hypnos

“Yup! Right here on the list, “Shadow the Hedgehog, died of Atmospheric Entry Related Disintegration”!”. I’ll admit it’s an impressive way to go, especially for a mortal. Even Zag would be hard pressed to beat that one.”

Shadow

“Wait, hold on, this has to be some sort of trick… Sonic of course, he must have-” Hypnos

“Woah woah woah, slow down there little buddy, I don’t think you understand. It’s fine, most mortals these days don’t-”

Shadow

“Get out of my way, I don’t have time for any cheap tricks, I have to figure out what’s really going on here”

The unnatural quickness that served him in life was called forth once again as Shadow the Hedgehog rushed forth, cutting quickly ahead of the many varied petitioners within the House of Hades. Despite his efforts, his escape was cut short before it even began by the monstrous, three headed Cerberus.

Hades

“Who dares disturb the order of my house?”

The lord of the dead loomed from his throne, sending the many waiting shades scurrying from their places in the queue and into the shadowed corners of his hall. His weighty gaze resting upon the impudent hedgehog held by the scruff of its neck in one of Cerberus’s terrible maws.

Hades

“Speak now shade, and do it quickly to explain yourself, you won’t have time again for such luxuries during your time in Tartarus.”

Shadow

“My name’s not Shade, it’s Shadow, and you’re the one who should be explaining himself to me. What’s the meaning of this, where am I?”

Hypnos

“Ha ha, Lord Hades I see you’ve met our latest guest. When I read his file I just knew you’d want to meet him as fast as possible! Not only did he come down in one of the most spectacular ways I’ve ever seen, he also apparently dropped a bunch of things called… The Chaos Emeralds?”

Hades

“Did you just say… the Chaos Emeralds?”

At the mention of those artifacts, the Grim Lord of the Underworld was distracted from his righteous fury at the intruding hedgehog. His mind turned back to the early days of his rulership over the Underworld, when the old order of the Titans still colored all aspects of existence both living and dead. That some of the most ancient jewels from that era would find their way once again to the Underworld gave even him pause.

We take a refrain now from the House of Hades to look upon the surface of the Earth, where the former enemies and allies of Shadow the Hedgehog now contemplated the aftermath of a prior tale.

I did actually read the whole thing here that’s delightful

[noodletime]

Good eve, I heard game. So I bring forth the following inquiries:

- This a fangame or personal concept?

- What's it about? Story, characters, world building- let's hear/see it! (No upper word limit)

- What genre of game ya thinking?

- Any direct/indirect inspirations?

YAYYY SOMEONE ASKED ME ABOUT THIS HEHE,,,

First off, its a personal concept, though it IS inspired off of Undertale, SPM/Super Paper Mario, and (later on in my life) Omori!

Its about a kid named Kun (short for Kunsago) who gets a severe head injury after getting hit by a car and falling into a coma. In that coma she dreams up about living as a new person, in a new life, in a new world! Her goals are to find her parent and get back home!

This here is what she looks like! (By the way, if you want full body drawings of these characters then please don't be afraid to ask!)

Kun is a girl, She/Her. And about 9-13 years old! (I say 9-13 because she doesn't want/like to specify her real age to others.) She often comes off as stubborn and a bit grown up, but sometimes she can be quiet and content.

Then, we go off onto her friends! (About 3 in total.)

Firstly theres Tiel, He/They. A creepy yet outgoing jester who has been locked up in a cage by one of the 3 kings. (Who I wont tell about yet until I get on to the lore yet!) Fun fact: I based most of him off of a cockatiel,,

Then theres King Yunu/Yunu, He/Him. One of the youngest of the 3 kings who is more kinder than the other ones. Fun Fact: Now THIS character is based off a Lake Junin Frog!

And finnally, Sanctus, They/Them! A nervous, shy ghost residing in one of the abandoned towns in the dream world who used to work with Tiel.

Now, for the worldbuilding!

Key:

Red Marks - Capital citys.

Lightest shade of grey - 2nd Lowest Meters High. (0-100m)

Lesser Lightest - 1st Lowest Meters High. (100-300m)

Medium Darkest - 2nd Highest Meters High. (300-500m)

Darkest - 1st Highest Meters High. (500-1000m)

Blue Marks - The rivers and lakes!

Now for the citys (Fun Fact: Each of them are based on types of circus acts/actors!):

Bottom - Birthplace of the 3 Kings. (Where Kun first arrives.)

Left - Cage of the Animals. (Where she meets Tiel.)

Right - Palace of the Magicians. (Where the two meet Yunu.)

Middle - Lake of the Contorionist's. (Where the 3 meet Sanctus.)

Top - Heart of the Ringmaster. (Quite literally! This is where all 4 of the characters meet the final boss.)

Now, heres all the main villians!

First, in the Cage of the Animals, here is the twins Night and Nought! Both They/Them. One is quieter and sorrowful while the other one is loud and energetic.

Then next, in the Palace of the Magicians, we have the one and only Charon! He/It. He is a dapper fellow, although calm and polite, it has its moments where it can become very angry!

Up next, in the Lake of Contortionists, we have Damien! He/Him. Quiet yet sassy and competitive, and partners with Charon. (not specifying wether its like a relationship or just friends, thats for you to decide... >:) )

Now, you may have been expecting the final boss to apeer here, but i'll keep them a secret! You can still guess who/what they're gonna be tho!

Now for the genre, I was thinking of an RPG mixed with horror,,,

..And thats it! I'll bring up some more stuff if you want. But this was fun to make! Also your allowed to make fanart of it if you wish! Thx for the ask!!

[foodandfolklore]

How Odin lost his eye

Art by Malevus

I found a book from 1906 that was a collection of already existing stories from other already published books. These stories were collected by Hamilton Wright Mabie in his book Myths Every Child should know. He wrote many books like this, for both adults and children. A collection of stories he felt everyone should be aware of. Pomes, Shakespeare, Fairytales, Culture; even Publishing a book about Japan in 1914, 2 years before his death.

I think he was fascinated by stories of old, as well as how it can shape cultures of today. While he didn't write these stories himself, he clearly wanted more people to know about these stories. So I thought I'd share one while I think many know, I still think it's important to share. This story can originally be found in In the days of Giants by Abbie Farwell Brown, 1902.

How Odin lost his eye

In the beginning of things, before there was any world or sun, moon, and stars, there were the giants; for these were the oldest creatures that ever breathed. They lived in Jotunheim, the land of frost and darkness, and their hearts were evil. Next came the gods, the good Æsir, who made earth and sky and sea, and who dwelt in Asgard, above the heavens. Then were created the queer little dwarfs, who lived underground in the caverns of the mountains, working at their mines of metal and precious stones. Last of all, the gods made men to dwell in Midgard, the good world that we know, between which and the glorious home of the Æsir stretched Bifröst, the bridge of rainbows.

In those days, folk say, there was a mighty ash tree named Yggdrasil, so vast that its branches shaded the whole earth and stretched up into heaven where the Æsir dwelt, while its roots sank far down below the lowest depth. In the branches of the big ash tree lived a queer family of creatures. First, there was a great eagle, who was wiser than any bird that ever lived—except the two ravens, Thought and Memory, who sat upon Father Odin's shoulders and told him the secrets which they learned in their flight over the wide world. Near the great eagle perched a hawk, and four antlered deer browsed among the buds of Yggdrasil. At the foot of the tree coiled a huge serpent, who was always gnawing hungrily at its roots, with a whole colony of little snakes to keep him company—so many that they could never be counted. The eagle at the top of the tree and the serpent at its foot were enemies, always saying hard things of each other. Between the two skipped up and down a little squirrel, a tale bearer and a gossip, who repeated each unkind remark and, like the malicious neighbour that he was, kept their quarrel ever fresh and green.

In one place at the roots of Yggdrasil was a fair fountain called the Urdar-well, where the three Norn maidens, who knew the past, present, and future, dwelt with their pets, the two white swans. This was magic water in the fountain, which the Norns sprinkled every day upon the giant tree to keep it green—water so sacred that everything which entered it became white as the film of an eggshell. Close beside this sacred well the Æsir had their council hall, to which they galloped every morning over the rainbow bridge.

But Father Odin, the king of all the Æsir, knew of another fountain more wonderful still; the two ravens whom he sent forth to bring him news had told him. This also was below the roots of Yggdrasil, in the spot where the sky and ocean met. Here for centuries and centuries the giant Mimer had sat keeping guard over his hidden well, in the bottom of which lay such a treasure of wisdom as was to be found nowhere else in the world. Every morning Mimer dipped his glittering horn Giöll into the fountain and drew out a draught of the wondrous water, which he drank to make him wise. Every day he grew wiser and wiser; and as this had been going on ever since the beginning of things, you can scarcely imagine how wise Mimer was.

Now it did not seem right to Father Odin that a giant should have all this wisdom to himself; for the giants were the enemies of the Æsir, and the wisdom which they had been hoarding for ages before the gods were made was generally used for evil purposes. Moreover, Odin longed and longed to become the wisest being in the world. So he resolved to win a draught from Mimer's well, if in any way that could be done.

One night, when the sun had set behind the mountains of Midgard, Odin put on his broad-brimmed hat and his striped cloak, and taking his famous staff in his hand, trudged down the long bridge to where it ended by Mimer's secret grotto.

"Good-day, Mimer," said Odin, entering; "I have come for a drink from your well."

The giant was sitting with his knees drawn up to his chin, his long white beard falling over his folded arms, and his head nodding; for Mimer was very old, and he often fell asleep while watching over his precious spring. He woke with a frown at Odin's words. "You want a drink from my well, do you?" he growled. "Hey! I let no one drink from my well."

"Nevertheless, you must let me have a draught from your glittering horn," insisted Odin, "and I will pay you for it."

"Oho, you will pay me for it, will you?" echoed Mimer, eyeing his visitor keenly. For now that he was wide awake, his wisdom taught him that this was no ordinary stranger. "What will you pay for a drink from my well, and why do you wish it so much?"

"I can see with my eyes all that goes on in heaven and upon earth," said Odin, "but I cannot see into the depths of ocean. I lack the hidden wisdom of the deep—the wit that lies at the bottom of your fountain. My ravens tell me many secrets; but I would know all. And as for payment, ask what you will, and I will pledge anything in return for the draught of wisdom."

Then Mimer's keen glance grew keener. "You are Odin, of the race of gods," he cried. "We giants are centuries older than you, and our wisdom which we have treasured during these ages, when we were the only creatures in all space, is a precious thing. If I grant you a draught from my well, you will become as one of us, a wise and dangerous enemy. It is a goodly price, Odin, which I shall demand for a boon so great."

Now Odin was growing impatient for the sparkling water. "Ask your price," he frowned. "I have promised that I will pay."

"What say you, then, to leaving one of those far-seeing eyes of yours at the bottom of my well?" asked Mimer, hoping that he would refuse the bargain. "This is the only payment I will take."

Odin hesitated. It was indeed a heavy price, and one that he could ill afford, for he was proud of his noble beauty. But he glanced at the magic fountain bubbling mysteriously in the shadow, and he knew that he must have the draught.

"Give me the glittering horn," he answered. "I pledge you my eye for a draught to the brim."

Very unwillingly Mimer filled the horn from the fountain of wisdom and handed it to Odin. "Drink, then," he said; "drink and grow wise. This hour is the beginning of trouble between your race and mine." And wise Mimer foretold the truth.

Odin thought merely of the wisdom which was to be his. He seized the horn eagerly, and emptied it without delay. From that moment he became wiser than anyone else in the world except Mimer himself.

Now he had the price to pay, which was not so pleasant. When he went away from the grotto, he left at the bottom of the dark pool one of his fiery eyes, which twinkled and winked up through the magic depths like the reflection of a star. This is how Odin lost his eye, and why from that day he was careful to pull his gray hat low over his face when he wanted to pass unnoticed. For by this oddity folk could easily recognise the wise lord of Asgard.

In the bright morning, when the sun rose over the mountains of Midgard, old Mimer drank from his bubbly well a draught of the wise water that flowed over Odin's pledge. Doing so, from his underground grotto he saw all that befell in heaven and on earth. So that he also was wiser by the bargain. Mimer seemed to have secured rather the best of it; for he lost nothing that he could not spare, while Odin lost what no man can well part with—one of the good windows wherethrough his heart looks out upon the world. But there was a sequel to these doings which made the balance swing down in Odin's favour.

Not long after this, the Æsir quarrelled with the Vanir, wild enemies of theirs, and there was a terrible battle. But in the end the two sides made peace; and to prove that they meant never to quarrel again, they exchanged hostages. The Vanir gave to the Æsir old Niörd the rich, the lord of the sea and the ocean wind, with his two children, Frey and Freia. This was indeed a gracious gift; for Freia was the most beautiful maid in the world, and her twin brother was almost as fair. To the Vanir in return Father Odin gave his own brother Hœnir. And with Hœnir he sent Mimer the wise, whom he took from his lonely well.

Now the Vanir made Hœnir their chief, thinking that he must be very wise because he was the brother of great Odin, who had lately become famous for his wisdom. They did not know the secret of Mimer's well, how the hoary old giant was far more wise than anyone who had not quaffed of the magic water. It is true that in the assemblies of the Vanir Hœnir gave excellent counsel. But this was because Mimer whispered in Hœnir's ear all the wisdom that he uttered. Witless Hœnir was quite helpless without his aid, and did not know what to do or say. Whenever Mimer was absent he would look nervous and frightened, and if folk questioned him he always answered:

"Yes, ah yes! Now go and consult someone else."

Of course the Vanir soon grew very angry at such silly answers from their chief, and presently they began to suspect the truth. "Odin has deceived us," they said. "He has sent us his foolish brother with a witch to tell him what to say. Ha! We will show him that we understand the trick." So they cut off poor old Mimer's head and sent it to Odin as a present.

The tales do not say what Odin thought of the gift. Perhaps he was glad that now there was no one in the whole world who could be called so wise as himself. Perhaps he was sorry for the danger into which he had thrust a poor old giant who had never done him any wrong, except to be a giant of the race which the Æsir hated. Perhaps he was a little ashamed of the trick which he had played the Vanir. Odin's new wisdom showed him how to prepare Mimer's head with herbs and charms, so that it stood up by itself quite naturally and seemed not dead. Thenceforth Odin kept it near him, and learned from it many useful secrets which it had not forgotten.

So in the end Odin fared better than the unhappy Mimer, whose worst fault was that he knew more than most folk. That is a dangerous fault, as others have found; though it is not one for which many of us need fear being punished.

[screenmobile]

How to Negotiate the Best Price for a Patio Enclosure?

You’ve finally decided it’s time to upgrade your patio—no more worrying about rain cutting your relaxation short, or mosquitoes turning your evenings into a battle. But before you start picturing yourself lounging in your new enclosed space, there’s one big hurdle to cross: the price tag.

Negotiating the cost of a patio enclosure isn’t just about haggling for a discount—it’s about understanding pricing, knowing where to find savings, and getting the best value for your money. So, let’s talk strategy.

1. Know What You Want Before You Start Talking Price

If you walk into a negotiation without knowing exactly what you need, you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary costs.

Questions to Ask Yourself First:

What’s my primary goal? Bug-free relaxation? Year-round use? A sunroom for plants?

What type of enclosure do I want? Screened, glass, retractable?

What’s my budget range? (And how flexible am I?)

What features are essential? Insulation? UV protection? Pet-proof screens?

Having clear answers to these questions helps you stay in control of the negotiation. If you let a contractor decide everything for you, chances are, you’ll end up with extras you don’t need—and a bigger bill.

2. Get Multiple Quotes 

One of the simplest ways to get a better deal is to compare prices. Even if you already love a particular company, getting at least three quotes will:

Give you a better sense of fair pricing in your area.

Give you leverage—contractors are more likely to match or beat a competitor’s price.

Help you spot red flags—if one quote is way lower than the others, something might be off.

Pro Tip: When comparing quotes, make sure they include the same scope of work. Some contractors leave out certain costs upfront, only to add them later. Always ask for a detailed, itemized breakdown.

3. Know Where You Can Cut Costs

Negotiation isn’t always about asking for a lower price—it’s about adjusting the project to fit your budget.

Cost-Saving Adjustments That Won’t Hurt Quality:

Stick to a standard shape and size – Custom designs = higher costs.

Use existing flooring – If your patio already has a concrete slab, avoid adding a new foundation.

Choose manual over motorized features – A manual retractable screen is far cheaper than a motorized one.

Go with aluminum over wood – Aluminum is durable, low-maintenance, and often more affordable than wooden framing.

Skip premium glass (if you don’t need it) – If you’re not planning to use your enclosure year-round, standard tempered glass is fine.

Biggest Savings Tip: Ask about off-season discounts. Many contractors lower their prices in fall and winter when demand slows down.

4. Use Bundling & Package Deals to Your Advantage

Some companies offer discounts if you bundle services—so if you’re already considering other home upgrades, this could be a smart move.

Pair your patio enclosure with window replacements to negotiate a lower overall cost.

Ask if they’ll include minor extras—like ceiling fans, retractable shades, or lighting—at little to no extra charge.

If you’re financing, ask if you can get a better deal by choosing a shorter-term payment plan.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate 

Many homeowners hesitate to negotiate because they assume prices are set in stone. But here’s the thing: most contractors expect some back-and-forth.

How to Negotiate Without Being Pushy:

Start with, “Is there any flexibility in this price?” (It’s a polite way to ask if they’re open to adjustments.)

If they can’t lower the cost, ask for added value instead. Example: “Would you be able to include pet-resistant screens for the same price?”

Mention a competing quote—without being aggressive. Example: “Another company quoted me $2,000 less. Is there a way to get closer to that number?”

What NOT to do: Saying, “Give me the lowest price possible,” without being specific makes it sound like you’re just bargain-hunting, and some contractors won’t take you seriously.

6. Watch Out for Hidden Fees and Extra Charges

Some costs aren’t included in the initial quote—and they can add up fast if you’re not careful.

Common Hidden Fees to Look Out For:

Permit Fees – Some cities require building permits, which can cost a few hundred dollars.

Electrical Work – If your enclosure needs lighting or ceiling fans, ask if electrical work is included.

Foundation Work – If your patio isn’t level, you might need extra preparation, which increases costs.

Cleanup & Disposal – Some contractors charge extra for hauling away debris after the job is done.

Tip: Ask for a final “all-in” price before signing anything, so you’re not surprised by hidden costs.

7. Use Timing to Your Advantage

Timing can make a huge difference in how much you pay.

Fall and winter = better deals. Most people book patio enclosures in spring and summer, so scheduling yours in the off-season could mean lower prices.

End-of-month or end-of-quarter negotiations – Many contractors want to close deals before financial reporting periods, so they may be more flexible if you negotiate at the end of the month.

Ask about showroom models or last-season materials – Some companies sell demo models or leftover materials at a discount.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to pay less—it’s to get the best value. A well-negotiated patio enclosure should:

Fit your budget without unnecessary upgrades.

Be installed by a reputable company with good reviews.

Come with a solid warranty to protect your investment.

Enhance your home’s value and usability for years to come.

If you’re in South Bend or nearby, Screenmobile of Michiana Shores, MI, offers custom patio enclosures with transparent pricing and expert guidance, so you get the best deal without the stress.

Want a free quote? Contact Screenmobile today and start designing your dream patio!

[artcalledtattoo]

We Was Just Looking For Adventure It was a Sunday The folks that went to to gather They were gone We hade the junkyard to ourselves We was just looking for an adventure Started small Rummage through glove boxes and compartments, checking under floor mats for loose change I found .87 cents so far Thee escalations Beginning raw broken plastic, glass and metal dents, to throwing heavy parts Just for collisions We was just looking for adventures Physically exhausted It was 105 degrees Fahrenheit The three of us sat in the shade No one thought of provisions Three Sundays ago was fun We was just resting during adventure “How are you boys and girl? Don’t fucking move” * All three of us looked up He was holding a single barrel shotgun I knew right off, from the look of it None of us moved, never heard approach Frozen caught Pointed at Us “Have you been here before? Thought so, your the older, you in charge?” * Javier nodded and continued his head Blast to the side in some old car We all jumped Staring at us in such glare He moved and pressed the barrel into Javier’s center forehead Pushing his body backwards I heard the sizzle of flesh Then the man backed away And then I heard crying “Get outta here and don’t ever comeback, you’ve been marked, run and fast, explain everything to Mommy.” * Javier was gone It would later be said 5 against 1 he bettered two And held down by two Another went to branding Hole of scar was for the whole Neighborhood We were just looking and it all stopped! We were just looking for adventure Just two of us now The both of us Not saying any words “Who’s the smartest of you three?” The shotgun was now held by two hands A straight to me was a point “Few Sundays ago, who shot up the blue BMW and with what?” It was me, with Japanese stars purchased at park n swap, with a little help from a grinder and a file A couple Sunday’s a ago Showing off too / or for rather, Leticia “I’m seeing the clever and all the damage to my property, that door alone was worth ! The windows the windshields You both now owe me!” “Now follow me, don’t run, what’s your names?” Sven, and I spoke for Leticia He asked openly, “How long you to been lovers?” Leticia exclaimed, “We have never kissed.” “See Sven, she didn’t roughly demand, she would never kiss you, as in like, we would’ve have never kissed, it’s a lucky Sunday. You two for the next few hours You both have cost me lest not forget your runaway home to Mom friend, at the lowest possible prices, you two, $8,703 to be paid off, in three hours before the sun goes down, or let’s go get tha fuck yo & we, walk to parents, what you two? Want to do? And her name, Please?” The barrel swinging We look at each other It’s a pendulum swaying We the she & me Have to work things off If put forth a sum of near 9 thousand It’s Leticia, we spoke unison We was just looking for adventure We agreed, and followed him. We began hand holding Sweating & clenching Leaving small trails behind Javier, would later marry have children And to this day has a never spoken up “Now Boy & Girl to pay off the dollars! What I want first is? We have, what til 6 - 9, when a search begins prolly 24 later hours, if you do as told, you can have the money paid off in by 5:30. If you do exactly told! Sven is doing this with you, Leticia…no more crying, welcome, to my two container under ground room!” A flap / door was opened! We was just looking for adventure….. We was just looking far and wide adventure

[casspurrjoybell-25]

The Healer of Shakkara - Book Two

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 3 - The Insight - Part 2

Together, the pair walked back through the orchard, hand in hand.

Iksthanis took care to offer Zenír support without leading him.

He had never thought less of the other man for his lack of sight... on the other hand, he knew Zenír thought so little of himself that he would never complain and would never ask for help... especially when he most needed it.

"You must be feeling better, to walk all this way," Zenír said as they passed from the orchards into the vineyards that clothed the little hills upon the valley's northernmost side, leading up to the great edifice of stone.

That grapes could grow at all at this elevation was a wonder and Iksthanis presumed it was a gift of the earth here, warmed by subterranean fires.

"Yes, thanks to Galen and Hadrix. Between 'The P'Yrha's' power and the medic's skill, I feel nearly myself again."

'Nearly' was a stretch but Iksthanis didn't want to trouble Zenír with the minor details of his recovery... how his ribs and shoulder ached and the pain in his leg that plagued him daily.

He was more than grateful, though and more than content with his lot.

It was a miracle he was alive at all, much less up and walking.

"What of you?" he asked, as they slowly climbed the steep flights of carved stoned steps to the entrance of the great house.

"You are thinner than I remember. You haven't been neglecting yourself again, I hope."

A slight frown touched Zenír's lips and he bowed his head to conceal his expression.

Iksthanis knew he disliked attention and would not bring it on himself... not because he found it demeaning but because he believed himself undeserving of even basic kindnesses.

"I had little appetite, for a time," he said at last.

"But it has returned."

Iksthanis tightened his hold on Zenír's hand a little.

He knew what he meant.

"I'm sorry I worried you."

Zenír smiled and pressed his hand in return.

"I had faith in your strength," he said. "But I am much happier now that you are well."

Iksthanis paused beneath the overhanging boughs of a late-blooming vine bearing bunches of sweetly scented flowers and gently brought Zenír to a halt in its shade.

"This is the place, isn't it? The place in your vision when you glimpsed my future," he asked and Zenír nodded.

"I believe so... if Fate, in its whimsy, has not already changed its course."

"I will be content with any fate, if I may spend the journey in such good company," said Iskthanis.

Bitterness tinged Zenír's expression and he pulled his hand from Iksthanis's grasp, shrinking in on himself a little.

"You deserve better," he said quietly.

"You could have better, easily. A man like you could..."

"Could what?" Iksthanis interrupted, crowding Zenír against the curve of stone wall at his back.

"Have my pick of the ripest fruit?"

"Yes," Zenír whispered, his sightless eyes wide and his breath catching a little.

Iksthanis sighed.

The man had no idea.

True, he was not 'beautiful' in the same way the young P'Yrha was but his allure was just as strong.

Far stronger, in fact, as far as Iksthanis was concerned... from his tousled curls to his elegant hands, his lightly freckled skin and the shape of his lips... from the lines of his collar bones to the dip at the base of his throat, to the way the thinness of his shoulders made Iksthanis want to hold him ever so gently and never let him go.

And yet, in his own eyes, as it were, Zenír remained the disgraced and disowned son of a noble family, fallen from haughtiest heights to the depths of despair, where Sev and Iksthanis had found him... a blind beggar, starving on the lowest streets of Tal P'Nir.

He had never told Iksthanis the whole story... why, after surviving an assassination attempt that took his sight, he had been cast forth from his family's home but Iksthanis got the idea Zenír believed himself deserving of his fate and had wished more than once that whoever poisoned him had done a better job.

"Forbidden fruit tastes sweetest," he whispered with his lips almost touching Zenír's.

"But I will wait for it to fall into my lap. Quite literally."

A shudder ran the length of Zenír's thin frame and the prominence in his throat jumped as he swallowed.

Iksthanis smiled.

He would not have long to wait, he did not think, to enjoy his meal.

"Come. Let us not keep the council waiting any longer," he said, taking Zenír's hand again and led him on.

In the council chamber, Anira greeted them warmly enough and invited them to take seats at the long stone table.

Besides Anira herself, Iksthanis recognized Korim the archivist, Finvar the huntsman and several others whose names he had not yet memorized.

After filling them in on the situation, Anira asked the question for which they had been summoned.

"You know the P'Yrha best," she said.

"Where do you think he has gone and what do you advise we do about it?"

"He's gone beneath the mountains after Sevhalim," Iksthanis said.

"Almost certainly."

"Will you follow him?" Anira asked.

Zenír answered before Iksthanis could.

"No. Their path is their own and that way is closed now."

"What is zat supposed to mean?" Korim demanded irritably.

"Speak plainly."

Zenír smiled.

"It is simply how I 'see' things," he said.

"When the shadows make themselves clear."

The old man waved a hand dismissively and Zenír said no more.

The talk carried on for a while longer but Iksthanis only half listened.

He trusted Zen's insight and The Haven had no warriors to spare.

Sending anyone into unexplored caverns that led who-knows-where was too dangerous to risk and if Galen had followed Sev directly he'd have been gone nearly three days already.

At last, the meeting adjourned and they rose to depart.

As he turned to leave, though, an older man, nearly as tall as himself but with pale skin and a dark beard streaked with grey, pulled Iksthanis aside to ask him about moving some heavy blocks of stone they were trying to clear from one of the deeper halls.

Zenír moved aside to wait for him, resting his hand on the wall, where he seemed to become absorbed with the engravings carved there.

At last, Iksthanis excused himself and joined him.

"What does this look like to you?" Zenír asked, running his fingers lightly along the bottom edge of the engraving, where an intricate pattern of dots and grooves formed a sort of frame.

"Hmm... sort of like a pattern but not really," Iksthanis said.

"Why? What does it 'look' like to you?"

"Like... writing."

"Writing," Korim exclaimed, startling Iksthanis with his sudden appearance at his back.

The old man waved his hand at the wall.

"Ze pictures tell a story. Zese little squiggles... zey are nussing."

"I think it's an alphabet," Zenír said.

"Alphabet," Korim laughed, blue eyes sparkling in his dark face.

He had more Edraxi blood than Iksthanis, judging by his accent.

"Believe me, I have been trying to decipher ze Dweller's language for years. If zis is an alphabet, it is like no alphabet I have ever seen."

Zenír smiled.

"That is likely the problem, then. If I'm right, this alphabet isn't meant to be seen at all."

The old man stared at him, then at the wall, then at Zenír again.

"My sweet Goddess..." he breathed,and smacked his own forehead sharply.

Then, abruptly, he turned and ran away.

"What a strange man," Iksthanis remarked but found he spoke too soon.

A moment later, Korim came running back and seized Zenír by the arm.

"Come, come," he exclaimed, shaking him.

"Zere is somesing you must see. Or well... You know what I mean."

He beckoned and ran off again, exiting the council chamber through a smaller inner door.

Iksthanis glanced at Zenír and nearly laughed at his bemused expression.

"It seems you may have made a friend. I wonder what has him so excited. Shall we?"

Zenír's thin shoulders lifted in a shrug but he smiled as he placed his hand on Iksthanis's arm.

"Lead the way," he said.