#I do not like her in the slightest

[teasel-backatitagain]

Thinking about her (Karina Braun)

[lovesickeros]

☆ even the gods bleed [ pt 2 ]

{☆} characters furina, neuvillette {☆} notes cult au, imposter au, multi-chapter, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings none {☆} word count 1.9k {☆} previous [ 1 ]

This had to be a punishment of some sort – some kind of divine punishment.

She was bored out of her mind just watching the sleeping body – she hadn't blinked once in the past five hours, her eyes were really starting to hurt. Yet they still hadn't moved so much as an inch since she sequestered them away to the only place she had known to be safe.

But it'd been almost a week since then.

The only solace she found was that Teyvat had seemed much less hellbent on collapsing in on itself like a dying star.

That counted for something.

Not much, but something!

..Even if their position was no better then it was a week ago.

There was, after all, still the issue of what to do about the false Creator – the actual imposter – and the Archons following them like blind lambs. The other Archons wouldn't listen if she tried to reason with them, and it would only risk the life of Divine One if she spoke of their location to anyone else.

She also was pretty fond of having her head still attached to her shoulders.

So she avoided them all together. Partially because she wasn't sure she wouldn't have a breakdown at the sight of them..she'd never been a fighter, and fighting an Archon? Easy pass.

Instead she was forced to babysit the sleeping Divine until they woke up while Neuvillette handled taking care of the nation and dealing with the other Archons – and by extension the false Creator.

Really though, she would almost think them dead if not for the subtle rise and fall of their chest.

Though..this also left her with a lot of time to herself. A lot of time to think.

She really didn't like it.

There wasn't a lot to occupy her mind and what little there was only distracted her for a scant few moments before her eyes drifted back to the Divine like she was locked in their orbit, unable to escape.

She closed the same book for the twelfth time – she kept count – and returned it to it's meticulously designed place within her bookcase. A low, barely audible huff of frustration escaped her lips before she could bite it down, her stare boring a hole into the body of the Divine One with a sharp intensity she rarely showed.

She was tired, bored and constantly on edge, fearing that at any moment someone would find out about their presence here.

That, at the drop of a hat, she would be powerless to stop the greatest tragedy of her time play out before her eyes.

Neuvillette would have scolded her for being so petulant, especially around the Divine One, if he were here.

But he wasn't.

He was out running her nation, instead.

And what was she doing? Nothing!

She grit her teeth, nails digging harshly into the palm of her hands as she took a deep breath – now was not the time to think about that. She had..much more pressing matters. Sulking and letting her thoughts spiral helped no one, least of all herself.

Yet her attention was caught by a harsh inhale, the rustle of fabric – were they finally waking up? She was exhausted, but it all vanished at the sudden drop of life within the otherwise deathly still body of the Divine.

Her eyes followed the subtle twitch of their fingers, watching as their brow furrowed and their features twisted in something almost like..pain.

..She wasn't ready.

What was she supposed to say?

Should she even say anything? Would that be considered impolite? Does she wait for them to speak first? Should she kneel? Bow?

She doesn't get much time to find her own answer before their lashes flutter, chest heaving with every strangled breath. Every single thought vanishes from her mind the moment she meets their eyes.

For a long, silent moment she thinks that her heart must have stopped.

Their eyes glow like the cresting of the sun over the horizon, painting the world in hues of gold – yet it also reminded her of the dipping of the moon below the waves, casting the briefest, most gentle of lights upon the world engulfed in darkness. In the depths of their eyes was the birth and death of stars in the infinite cosmos – glittering stars in a sea of empty, blank space that left her feeling lightheaded and breathless.

Beneath the splendor is a spark of recognition in their eyes so vibrant it was like a shooting star piercing through the dark night sky, leaving nothing but the wonder in the eyes of the observer as the only proof it ever existed – brilliant in it's beauty, however brief.

It is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

"Focalors?"

The lilt of their voice nearly made her knees buckle beneath her – euphoria so consuming it left her feeling she was starving swallowed her whole, her mind blanking in a moment of utter bliss. It was..an indescribable feeling that she doubted she could ever hope to put into words – not in a way that could properly express it, try as she might.

She swallowed the words that threatened to spill from her lips – she couldn't make a fool of herself. Not in front of them of all people. She'd never forgive herself.

"Divine One," She rasps, clearing her throat and covering her mouth with a hand to mask both her nervousness and the small smile that creeps across her face. She quickly regains her composure, hand resting on her hip as she puffs out her chest with every bit of pride she can manage. "I am sure you must be confused, but worry not– your most loyal acolyte has seen the truth!"

The silence is deafening.

She opens one eye, peaking at the bewildered and almost distraught expression of the Divine.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

That..she was not prepared for. Surely they knew who they were! Surely they knew. They had to– she's been praying to them for as long as she's breathed, she's dedicated every hour of her life to living up to their ideals, they can't just–!

"Lady Furina?"

Neuvillette, thankfully, spares her the embarrassment of having a meltdown in front of the Divine, the gentle rap of his knuckles against the door making her and the Divine pause, the soft lull of his voice soothing her nerves and yet setting her on edge at the same time.

"Neuvillette." She clears her throat again, her steps hurried as she marches to the door and pries it open none too gently, a forced smile pulling at her lips. She wastes no time tugging the man into the room, shutting the door behind him with a short huff. The silence is, somehow, even worse then before as the three of them stare at each other in absolute exasperation.

Neuvillette, for his part, manages to get his act together with a sharp clearing of his throat, bowing so low even she looks unnerved. She steals a brief glance at the Divine, and she's taken aback by the uncomfortability twisting their features into a grimace.

Their expression is schooled back into one of empty apathy when he stands back to his full height, but she saw it – she knows she did! Did they not like their worship? Were they not respectful enough? For a moment, she feared the Divine would smite Neuvillette down on the spot..but they just stared at him like he was a ghost.

"Why aren't you killing me?"

The defeated, resigned tone combined with the way their voice cracks makes her heart ache in her chest – it feels as though her entire world is crumbling down at her feet, and she cannot explain why she feels such emotions so strongly, but it is suffocating. It is almost as if Teyvat itself is weeping, bearing down upon her shoulders like a heavy weight.

She feels the urge to weep herself, but she powers through, gritting her teeth long enough for Neuvillette to take his place at the side of her – though it feels more like their – bed, kneeling like he was going to pray.

"Divine One," He offers a hand with a quiet rumble of his voice, the words slipping off his tongue like honey. It's like trying to soothe a stray cat..though she'd never voice such comparisons of the most Divine out loud. "I..we mean you no harm. I swear on my authority as the Iudex of Fontaine and Chief Justice that you are safe with us."

The skepticism she expected, but the reverence in which Neuvillette must convince them – or perhaps they are simply so tired that they simply did not care any longer if it was all some ploy to drive a knife between their ribs. She didn't expect them to actually place their hand in Neuvillette's.

He didn't either, judging by the way he visibly brightened – not that they'd notice, but she did.

..Not that she could really blame him, her heels clicking against the floorboards as she shifted her weight to the other foot with a nervous energy that was practically bursting at the seams, more then a little jealous of the attention he was receiving. She was the one who found them, she was the one who stayed with them the entire time..but he gets all the attention?

How unfair.

"O-of course! We would never lay a hand on our creator," She adds, her voice a little higher pitched then she would have liked as she placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest and brushing off the sting of jealousy. "Least of all I– your most loyal, most devout acolyte!"

She felt baffled when she heard the sound of their laughter, her shoulders hunching and her cheeks flushing on mere instinct – she was expecting mockery, but the look in their eyes, still dulled by a pain she cannot even begin to imagine, made her hesitate.

..It was, perhaps, the most genuine thing she'd heard from them ever since before the hunt began.

She wasn't sure why her heart hurt at such an idea, but it was enthralling to see the beginnings of a half hearted smile on their lips.

For a moment, her mask of theatrics was forgotten as she stared at them in a mixture of awe and adoration– and though she didn't look at Neuvillette, she could imagine he must've shared such an expression.

Had she any doubts that they were her Creator, that they alone were the most Divine..they would wiped clean now. There was no mistaking the way the world itself seemed to grow clearer as they glanced up at her like she was worth something.

For a moment, she realized how cold the false Creators gaze had been now that she has felt warmth so gentle it almost made her knees buckle beneath her. It felt like a pale imitation, now.

Nothing could compare to the warmth that spread through her body at the mere semblance of a smile upon their lips. She didn't even mind if it was her they were laughing at anymore, she just wanted to hear them laugh again.

She'd make a fool of herself, if she had to.

She'd never felt so..ravenous for such a thing, but just the briefest glimpse was addictive.

She simply couldn't help herself from striding across the room and clasping their free hand in her own, her smile wide enough to unnerve as she leaned her weight onto the bed. For a moment, she considered pulling away at the way they startled, but her mind was made up by then – there was no going back.

"Again."

[comradekatara]

listen to me carefully. a key part of toph’s arc is going from dismissing sokka outright bc he’s not a bender to thinking that he is the coolest person ever. you do not understand toph if you don’t get this.

[sonic-adventure-3]

an incredibly rough comic. i think star fragments would taste like a scintillating phantasmagoria of light, a severe electric shock, a newfound gambling addiction, and a hint of the nastiest artificial grape flavour you’ve ever tasted. sonic is imbued with the power of slot machines now

[rottengurlz]

lover, don't touch me // leave, i am a danger to you // but ooh, i hunger for you

[panharmonium]

Man, these past few days...so many thoughts. About my life then, my life now. What I missed. Thoughts about what I'll never have. And what I want to have.

[pixie-inkk]

Bit of a bonus:

Oh boy oh boy!

I’m really proud of this one, let them have their gay panics!

2/2 prev

[camelspit]

obsessed with maruca

@skylilac @callas-pancake-tree @arson-anarchy-death @steal-nightmares-leave-dreams @neverseen-nevermore @abubble125 @purplesoup-lad-le @gay-otlc @thefoxysnake @keeper-of-the-lost-dadwin @ravs6709 @did-i-say-you-could-get-up @kamikothe1and0nly @that-glasses-dog @presidentroarie @even-if-in-another-time @nyxpixels @slozhnos @katniss-elizabeth-chase @sofia-not-sophie @moontoastt @lemon-girl-in-devil-town @three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat @purpleunicycle @just-a-honey-badger @loverofallthingssmart @antisocialdork @tamsong @cutebisexualmess

[greeenchrysanthemums]

What do you mean by Scott has a sinking feeling that he has seen Pearl before in your GG rival au??? You made me super curious and I need to know

Simply put; they've met before.

Many years ago, when Scott was new to being a knight and Pearl was fresh into her mercenary business, they somehow ended up on the same escort job.

Scott was given charge of a group of knights that were tasked with protecting a nobleman on Ren's orders. They were to escort him to his summer home and ensure nothing happened to him on the way there. The protection of castle knights still wasn't enough for the nobleman to feel safe, though, because he also hired outside protection. That is where Pearl comes in.

Pearl was distant in every sense of the word during this job. She trailed behind the rest of the group, barely spoke, and didn't interact with anyone unless strictly necessary, and when she did, she only gave short answers. She wasn't in a good head space during this time; she still isn't, really, but she was particularly bad back then.

Scott sensed a sadness in her from the moment they were introduced, and he wanted to help, so he tried to reach out to her multiple times throughout the entire 2 weeklong journey, but she always kept him at arm's length. He was just losing hope when she finally opened up to him the night before their journey was to be over. She confided in him that she was lonely and wanted nothing more than a friend, but no one seemed to ever stick around in her life. Scott offered to be her friend and she said she would like that.

Of course, things didn't go so well after that.

Later that night, when Pearl was the only one awake, one of the many people who wanted the nobleman dead approached Pearl and offered her double what she was paid initially to kill him instead. After a sleepless night contemplating, she decided to do it. She killed him in the early morning while everyone was asleep and then skipped town before she could be discovered, stealing Scott's horse to make her escape in an accidental extra bit of salt in the wound.

Scott was shocked, he felt betrayed that she would do this after the seemingly heart felt conversation they had only hours before. He did end up getting in trouble for allowing the nobleman to die, receiving a month's suspension over it. He nearly lost his place in the ranks because of her. He does not remember her fondly. He thinks she's a liar.

Though she carries a similar sadness to that of what she had when they first met, she is a far cry from the gloomy and bitter girl he met years back. She seems happier now. She has a pep in her step, particularly when she's around Gem, and her smile reaches her eyes despite the hint of dishonestly and wariness in them. Not only that, but she used to dress differently and wear her hair over her birthmark to hide it. She's entirely unrecognizable to him, and it drives him crazy that he can't place where he's seen her before.

[roitaminnah]

tfw for some reason you find an immense amount of comfort in simply being near someone

[harvestmoth]

hi spoiler embargo ended. get rejuv blasted

[addysfandomdump]

Sorry for talking about Hazbin Hotel but I've seen no one else talking about it so I'll bring it up:

Where the hell (pun not intended) is God. I didn't expect Him to show up immediately or even this season but The Big Man Upstairs doesn't get mentioned once in a show set in Heaven and Hell and uses the names of prominent biblical figures such as Adam, Eve, Lucifer, etc. It's always "the angels" this and "the angels" that.

I don't mind the angels running most of the operations of Heaven. I think it makes sense, personally. But where is their boss. Their Lord Who Art In Heaven. It's not His lack of appearance that bothers me so much that He doesn't get mentioned at all. You'd think they'd at least invoke His name a few times or something, especially during the courtroom scene in Episode 6.

Is it too risky to include Him or something? I don't think so, Adam's portrayal alone is quite blasphemous in my opinion, so I don't think the Spindlehorse writers care about that.

Maybe He'll get mentioned in the later episodes, but that's very optimistic thinking honestly.

[emma-d-klutz]

Battinson being like my age is so golden for me personally because now I can picture him sitting across from a child in a Wayne-funded group home, looking very grave at the Yu-Gi-Oh setup in front of him, and deadpanning, "They have changed the rules considerably since the last time I played..."

[chrollohearttags]

can’t believe a two minute conversation with a dude at the con turned into my mom tryna hook me up with him. 💀

[cerise-on-top]

How do you think Laswell met her wife? What's domestic life like for her when she gets to go home?

Have a lovely day!

Hello! A second CoD post today since I was able to write this fairly quickly! This is about how I think Laswell met her canon wife, but everyone can interpret this however they like! I hope this is enjoyable!

Laswell Meeting Her Wife and Domestic Life With Her

If we’re talking about someone inserting themselves into the CoD world, then I’d say it’d be however the person intended to meet her. However, if we’re talking about her canon wife, then I’d likely have to say through work. It’s not uncommon for someone to meet through work. Besides, I can imagine the CIA having a few women working there as well, a few more than just Laswell. So, there’s a chance another one of the women working there was also into girls. And that’s likely one of the main factors that drew Laswell to that specific woman.

Don’t get me wrong, Laswell doesn’t develop crushes easily, she doesn’t now, she didn’t back then, but it would likely be that feeling of unity, of not being alone, that would draw Laswell to her future wife. It’s not often someone would have come out back then, especially not to someone you’re not sure about, so she knows something like that is an honor. And it’s that which would make her subconsciously like that woman more than the other ones, wanting to spend more time with her, get to know her better. And in those years she’d have known her, she’d eventually fall in love with her. Laswell knows what she’s feeling, but she’d test the waters a bit at first. To anyone outside it would be obvious she likes that woman more than anyone else. Given that she gives her lots and lots of gifts to gauge her reaction, takes the time out of her day to spend with her and overall just compliments her, it’s hard to not think there’s something going on here. Laswell doesn’t realize this immediately, but she will eventually.

Afterwards I’d say it was probably her wife who asked her about that sort of behavior. And, a few days later, either of them would have probably confessed they like the other. And thus a few years of dating commence.

After a year or two, Laswell would have proposed to her. Although she sometimes did lie awake at night, thinking about what it would have been like for her future wife to propose to her instead, she was just that smitten by her. As she works for the CIA as well, Laswell knows her wife is just as capable as she is. Maybe she doesn’t know as many languages, but it doesn’t matter to her, once they go on vacation Laswell can play interpreter. And on vacations they went together. Not very often, mind you, since the both of them were stationed anywhere in the world, but they would try to see the nicer parts of the world together. Amsterdam, Kyoto, Vienna. All of that stuff. By that time, they had already long since moved in together.

So, it isn’t often the two of them get to see each other in general, but that’s why they cherish what little time they can spend together. Their love never falters, and when they’re alone behind doors it’s kind of sickeningly sweet how they treat each other. It used to be worse when they were younger, but they’ve since mellowed out a little bit. So, when Laswell is home, her domestic situation can be a bit lonely. But for the sake of this ask we’re going to say her wife is actually home this time.

She doesn’t like to cook very much, so there won’t be too many homemade meals. Her wife can only be convinced to stand behind the stove whenever Laswell eggs her on, promising her a small reward, such as going to the cinema together. Her wife never cooks alone, only with Laswell. All those other times she either eats out, grabs something that only needs to be heated up or orders food. It’s only with Laswell that she can get over her disdain of cooking.

However, other than that, the two of them will take turns doing chores. If either of them just came home from work, then the other will take care of cleaning, washing clothes, putting away stuff and so on and so forth. They usually do their tasks together. So one of them will clean the dishes while the other one cleans the kitchen. If all tasks are done for either of them, then they’ll help the other. Since they’re both aware teamwork is important, something they learned throughout their careers, they would never hesitate to do so.

Laswell’s wife is a more traditionally affectionate woman than Laswell herself. She loves to give her wife a kiss every morning and before work, make her coffee and maybe toast some bread while she’s at it as well. As she usually gets up earlier than Laswell, she usually gets those things out of the way immediately, but won’t wake her up. It’s usually the loud coffee machine that does.

Overall, the domestic situation between the two of them is very loving. They don’t see each other that often, but whenever they do, they make that short amount of time count. With a kiss and a hug from her wife here and there, Laswell never ends up touch starved either. However, the only thing that had been bothering her about her wife would be her nagging about her smoking. That’s why she’s trying to quit now, just to keep her happy. Happy wife, happy life, after all. Whenever Laswell gets to see her wife content, she’s happy as well. She’d go through all nine circles of hell just to protect her and make sure nothing would happen to her. And at some point in her career, she likely has done that already.

[kagoutiss]

Does Ganondorf and Sheik kindle a friendship in your AU, or is it more of a working relationship?

kind of?? like sheik is working for him (and also against him), but their whole dynamic feels vaguely familial to me? and a LOT of it is negative, but not all of it is? i think sheik’s perception of ganondorf fluctuates a lot over a few years too, as well as her perception of impa. sheik’s whole experience during the timeskip is defined by uncertainty and trying to untangle these feelings of trust & distrust for the people around him

there are definitely things that sheik would rather talk about with ganondorf than with impa, just because ganondorf can be way more straightforward about things. and ganondorf is genuinely fond of sheik, even though he’s also an ass to sheik. in a lot of ways i feel like ganondorf likes sheik a lot more than sheik likes him

another way to look at this AU is to imagine impa on one side of a field, and ganondorf on the other side, and sheik is standing in the middle, and impa & ganondorf are both wildly gesturing to sheik and calling her over as if she’s a dog and whoever sheik goes to first Wins