#always love to hear your thoughts!

[dorkshadows]

Responding to the jttwfestival speed run!:

#oh my buddha these are good a;ldkjlsdfkd#Never forget Emperor Tang Taizhong was not only the patron who sponsored this journey -- but he was apparently so impressed by Tang Sanzang#he decided to become his sworn brother -- Tang Sanzang is so high on the food chain it's so funny lsdfjldksjlsdkj#'Red boy. Out of all the villains he was the one who terrorised the pilgrims most'#I love and hate that Red Boy came the closest to killing Sun Wukong. The Red Boy trauma is real#loving role switch -- where everyone waves goodbye to Tang Sanzang and he goes off the map for years#then they realise they left him with 3 incredibly fucked up demons and go 'oh yea'#role switch where Sanzang just runs away with the demon disciples lkjlkljkjllj#THE FLOWER & FRUITS  V  LOTUS LANTERN TEASHOP DRAMA WHEN??????#WHEN DORK WHEN???#since we get so little of Puti in adaptions despite his importance in Sun Wukong's life I'm so fascinated whenever a tidbit of him pops up!!#Definitely an underrated relationship#like - so angsty too - he clearly loved Wukong so much he taught him all these forbidden as hell secrets of the universe -#but in the end he expelled Wukong which in the world of this time also doubles as disownment#some adaptions are like 'ok you should go back to flower fruit mountain now :) bye wukong'#'ok byes~'#other adaptions are like 'PACK UP AND GTFO OF MY MOUNTAIN WUKONG' 'SHIFU NOOOOOO'#and I can't a;ldfk#oh right you're strong enough to finish and enjoy wukong's christmas adventure.....#everything comes back to marshall tianpeng#lowkey in real life I know a person who is named after Zhu Bajie called 'Tianpeng' and I *surprised pikachu face#thanks for this speedrun dork#we absolutely needed it - especially your takes on underrated moments/ characters#:D

THANKS EARL :D So glad you like these!!

You’re right- Sanzang is so high on the aristocratic food chain and it’s so funny because he doesn’t know how privileged he truly is until he gets back to Chang’an hahaha. Tang Taizhong really said, “I’ll pay for the journey!” then went home, and then Tang monk lost all the supplies (except for a bowl) the emperor gave him, including his guards and the one horse.

Red Boy 100% traumatized the pilgrims for years. The first time I learned about the Red Boy part as a kid, I thought it was funny. Then when I read about it again later, I was like, “you know, this is legit TERRIFYING.” He’s a 300yo demon with the temper of a spoiled child, and he also has fire powers. Like, it’s a miracle the pilgrims survived.

# then they realise they left him with 3 incredibly fucked up demons and go 'oh yea'#role switch where Sanzang just runs away with the demon disciples lkjlkljkjllj# YOUR TAGS HERE! Tang Sanzang disappears, then when they see him again, he’s leading his disciples on havoc in heaven 2.0. “Tangseng? I don’t know him. The name is San zang, ‘Zang’ for 葬礼”

Flower & Fruits vs Lotus Lantern tea shop drama will come this year, I promise!! Maybe as a fic, maybe something else, but I really want to make like, a fake menu and everything! Imagine ordering flower fruit boba tea, and it’s like milk with flower fragrance and there are little monkeys on your cup. BRO IMAGINE. Also imagine going into Lotus Lantern for a light snack and tea, and to pet the resident dog.

You and me: *Puti angst solidarity* 

asdfasdf I felt that, sometimes they part so peacefully, sometimes they act out a whole soap opera in front of the other students, complete with screaming, screaming + tears, and tears + screaming. Puti is so important but so many adaptations use him as a plot device or skip over him! 

I can’t believe you haven’t finished Wukong’s Christmas Adventure! It’s so cursed, but cursed in an addicting way. It won’t make you happy, but it sure will make your brain feel things XD

asdfasdfasd I’m sent by the fact that you know someone named Tianpeng irl. The fact that someone named their kid after Zhu Bajie of all people is a world record. (Also how could everything not return to Marshal Tianpeng? it is the alpha and the omega, the start and the end)

[miramelindamusings]

More protag!kairi sketches for the new year :)! I really wanted to draw Kairi learning from and hanging out with some of my Disney faves. I also wanted to try thinking about Kairi’s past. I think it would be difficult to come to terms with not just lost memories but a lost familial history. For instance, there are certain objects/jewelry that have been passed down to me from my family but perhaps all Kairi has is the necklace? And I’ve also been thinking about what a confrontation between Kairi and Riku could look like and what Riku’s side of the story would look like in this au!

[kiyoors]

kids at the mall

sakusa kiyoomi x reader

wc: just shy of 1k

“babe”

“hm?”

“that kid won’t stop staring at me.”

you turn from the two pairs of sunglasses before you, following sakusa’s gaze all the way towards a little girl standing just beyond one of the clothing racks in the store.

she’s a cute thing, really: maybe about five years old, wearing a pink princess dress (one that’s clearly seen better days), with a princess tiara to match. your eyes move to her feet, only to see a pair of plastic toy princess heels.

ah. so that’s what’s been making all the clacking sounds around the department store for the past five minutes.

you meet the little girl's eyes and send her a little wave, “maybe she just wants to say hi, omi,” you turn to your boyfriend; he doesn’t seem convinced with the way he squints his eyes at the girl,

“or maybe she’s freaked out about those bendy wrists of yours.” you tease, and sakusa immediately stops flexing his wrist under his other hand. it’s a thing he does unconsciously.

you hum, turning away from the sunglasses as you tangle your fingers with his and tilt your head up to plant a kiss at his jaw, hoping that’ll ease him up. nuzzling into his warmth, you speak a little more quietly, “maybe she thinks you’re handsome and has a little crush,” you muse, “wouldn’t be wrong but you’re already mine, right, omi?”

he snorts and gently flicks your forehead, soothing the spot with a kiss right after, “unfortunately i am.”

“hey!”

he laughs softly, nudging you with his hip and motioning towards the checkout register, “i’ll buy you both pairs of sunglasses,” he promises; lowering his voice he continues, “let’s just leave now; i feel like i’m being hunted.”

it’s your turn to snort now, “fine, fine, let’s go”

taking the two pairs you’d liked, hand still linked with his, you start making your way towards the checkout line. you stop, and sakusa cringes, at the tattletale clack clack clack of the plastic heels. omi’s hand tightens around your fingers, hissing out your name, “she’s following me, what the fu-“

you cut him off with a loud cough, giving him a dirty look, right as the little girl stops in front of you two. as if she were a dangerous, prowling lion hunting for her next meal, sakusa shoves you to the front, shielding himself from the predator and hiding behind you.

you realize chivalry is dead and thank yourself for choosing one of the more expensive sunglasses for him to buy, hoping it hurts his wallet.

sending him one last dirty look, you clear your throat and kneel down to the little girl’s height, voice cheery and bright, “hi sweetheart!,” you introduce yourself and then point at sakusa, making sure to introduce him as your boyfriend before continuing, “are you lost? do you need any help finding your parents?”

the girl shakes her head and points to a couple nearby that’s busy smelling perfume samples.

“we should call her parents,” you hear sakusa behind you.

before you can even reply, the little girl has her eyes already trained on him. you bite your smile at the clear distress on sakusa’s face.

“can i touch your hair?”

omi’s eyes bulge out, and you try not to choke on a laugh.

“you most certainly canno-“

you clear your throat and sakusa glares his eyes at you. you send him a wink and a shit eating grin right back.

“why do you wanna touch his hair, sweetheart?”

she motions to her pin straight hair and then uses both hands to imitate waves around her head, “his hair is like my dog’s! his name is Chester, and he’s a black poodle, and-“

the girl continues to ramble on about her dog, all the while sakusa has a very sour expression on his face. the whole situation is priceless.

“omi,” you call out softy as to not interrupt the little girl’s story about Chester and her hiding her mom’s phone, “baby, just let her have one touch?” you’re still on your knees and he’s towering above you, but the hand you have at his thigh to support yourself squeezes lightly and he can only sigh.

bringing himself down next to you, he concedes, “just one touch,” he looks at the little girl, “and you have to be gentle.”

you can almost see the stars in the little girl’s eyes, smile wide. she’s nodding vigorously as she gets nearer to your boyfriend, “i’ll be even more gentle than with Chester!” she promises.

sakusa can only sigh again.

delicately, she pokes a finger into the curls at the top of his head, “it’s smoother than Chester’s,” she notes

sakusa scoffs, “of course it is! im not a dog, and i use conditioner.”

you burst out laughing and he nudges you with his shoulder. you almost fall over to your side, managing to catch your weight with your knees.

“rude, omi,” you whisper

the girl only seems to gain even more joy at sakusa’s words, “nice doggy,” she pats his head and giggles.

sakusa looks like he’s about to spill blood in this macy’s tonight, so, for the sake of the little girl and your boyfriend, you softly interject, “i think that’s enough sweetheart,” you say lightly, side grinning sakusa, “omi, here, needs to buy me some sunglasses, and we have somewhere to be after.”

the girl nods, giving one last pat to sakusa’s hair before waving goodbye and returning to her parents.

sakusa sighs and finally let’s his shoulders drop. helping you get up from your crouch, he takes your hand, beginning to walk you over to the register.

“happy?” he squeezes you hand

you nod, pressing your lips to his cheek, “thanks, omi”

-

“why are sunglasses so expensive!?”

you promise to make it up to him once you get home.

back to series m.list

[sharkneto]

hi! I wanted to ask if you had any insight into why diego kills (deactivates?) grace in the beginning of s1. that never really made sense to me. my best guess is that it's because grace was supposed to intervene if anyone's life was in danger, so the fact that she didn't even notice when hazel and cha-cha attacked the house made Diego think she couldn't be trusted. but even then, killing her seems a little extreme. plus, pogo ends up bringing her back like 2 episodes later, so idk that whole storyline just seemed sort of weird to me. any thoughts?

Ooh what a neat ask - thanks for thinking of me for it! I love Diego and Grace's relationship; it's so soft. And Diego shutting her off is a really beautiful scene, imo. The whole point of the arc is a combo: 1) it's plot for figuring out what happened to Reggie and 2) is about Diego and who he is as a character.

Where this all starts from is earlier in the day/ep when the siblings have their meeting to confront that Grace didn't do anything to stop Reggie from kicking the bucket and have their argument of whether or not they need to turn Grace off because she's malfunctioning. Diego is Absolutely Against this plan ("She's not just some vacuum you can shove in the closet!" - which is a great line). Because she's their mother, because he hated their father, because Grace is a person to at least some degree and her life has value and meaning - they can't just shut her off. End of discussion as far as Diego is concerned.

I think the next two scenes with them are key - we have a really lovely montage of Grace being their mom (not just a machine) and being especially caring and supportive to Diego. It establishes who she is/was to the kids and how she should be functioning, to an extent. The next is Diego doing his own investigation into how she's doing, trying to find out if she had purposefully done something to hurt/kill Reggie - if it was on purpose, she might not malfunctioning. She has plenty of motive to hate Reggie for how awful it's hedged he treated her (never allowed to leave the mansion, doesn't even have her own room), she's been alone for 13 years without the children she was literally made to take care of; Diego would not begrudge her taking some action to put an end to Reggie. Hell, he encourages it over her continued, blind, programmed support for Reggie. But she doesn't, so that programming at least is still intact, which means other programming is degrading for her to have not saved Reggie.

Then Hazel and Cha Cha's attack on the Academy comes. Everyone gets out of it fine (except Klaus but we're not talking about him rn). Diego realizes Grace could have been damaged so he runs up to check on her to find....

She hasn't even registered there was an attack. Immediately, this is capital "w" Wrong. Vanya mentions it earlier, that Grace was not only made to care, but to protect - if the Academy was under attack, she should have been up and at least tried to do something to help. Instead, she sat and cross-stitched and didn't even know something was wrong. Not only cross-stitching, but sewing into her own hand and not noticing that she's doing it. Diego cannot ignore that.

His mom is malfunctioning. She might be broken, trending worse, and it seems irreversibly so if she's missing such major things. So, Diego decides to shut her down.

Here, I think your interpretation of the scene is wrong (and this is how I read it, which is what you asked); this is not because he does not trust Grace.

It's because he loves her. It's an act of love.

He loves her so much that he doesn't want to have to watch her continue to degrade, doesn't want her to have to suffer through the degradation, doesn't want her to have to sit and listen to her children discuss turning her off, doesn't want her to sit and have to know it's coming, doesn't want it done by another sibling who might see her as less than their mother. He doesn't know Pogo can fix her; as far as he knows, his mother that he loves very, very much will be dead.

And he still turns her off.

It's been a little bit since I rewatched S1, but if I remember correctly, up until this point Diego has been playing the tough, aloof stereotype. He's the vigilante, he plays fast and loose with the cops, he does his own thing, he's set up as a bit shifty. What we learn from this whole arc is that Diego has a very soft, big heart - he cares a lot - and he is protective of those he loves; things that have only been hinted at before this. He's protective of Grace, to keep his family from jumping to conclusions and prematurely turning her off, and he loves her enough to recognize that his family is right, she is broken, and decides he needs to be the one to turn her off to protect her from worse suffering. He sees it as his duty that she deserves someone who properly loves her to do the deed and be there with her for her final moments.

It fucks him up, we see him the next day upset at Patch's place (conveniently ignoring that he's the one who killed her but, details), but he never goes back to say that he made the wrong choice, never regrets it. He did what he thought he had to do to protect his mother, who he loved very much, and he stands by it.

We learn a lot about Diego in his actions in this arc. And we learn a few more pieces on what happened to good ol' Reginald, to keep the plot moving forward.

There. That's why it happened. ;)

[basket-of-loquats]

i made a thing

[Image ID: A three-circle venn diagram labelled “soulmate”, “husband”, and “boyfriend” with pictures of a BTS member in each section. Namjoon is in the husband circle, Jungkook is the in the boyfriend circle, and Jimin is in the soulmate circle. Seokjin is in the husband-soulmate overlap, Taehyung is in the boyfriend-soulmate overlap, and Hoseok is in the boyfriend-husband overlap. Yoongi is in the middle of all three circle. End ID.]

[cognitosclowns]

NO CAUSE I'VE BEEN BINGE READING ALL YOUR SHIT I'M IN LOVE.

BUT LIKE- YOU MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH ANDRE AND BRETT AND REGAN, ALL THREE. AKDKWKDOWODKW

PLEASE. IF YOU COULD PLEASE. GIMME. SUM SUBBY ANDRE WITH A FEM S/O

ALSO YOU BET YOUR ASS I'M WRITING MY OWN SMUT AS WE SPEAK.

I GOT A BUNCHA ASKS FOR SUB ANDRE SO,, IM COMBINING THEM INTO THIS SNMDSMD !!!!

tw : drugs + drug use!!

IM DOIN THIS AS X FEM READER BC IT’S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME,, AND I LIKE WRITING IN SECOND PERSON <3

The brattiest mf ever at first

Doesn’t matter what you two are doing, he’s gonna be his usually Light, Teasing self <3 Might take a bit of work until he’s,,, Properly Putty In Your Hands <3

I THINK I BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE BUT,, IDC I LOVE THIS IDEA :

The shit that Completely Destroys him is vv Hard, vv slow thrusting. if he can feel every drag?? <3

He’s usually used so ppl being,, vv fast and rough - and don’t get me wrong, he loves that shit too - its just,,, such a different experience that he’s complete putty <3

with vv fast, rough sex, sometimes all the sensations blur together? He much prefers the kind of overstimulation where Every Sensation Is Distinct And Unique.

That he can feel the difference between your thrusts, your hand stroking, your lips on his neck, etc. Different rhythms for each, so that he can tell everything apart? He’s absolutely destroyed.

He’ll definitely try to,, Keep It Together but eventually it’s just gonna melt into a string of ‘yesyesyesyesyes’

His thighs have a habit of going together?? His legs,, get extremely Jittery. Big movements + twitches

Rail him through the orgasm, into another <3 trust me he’s gonna love you like nothing else. Feeling that massive Rush, the drop off, only to feel it instantly building back up into another orgasm?

At that points it’s just <3 noises and thumping his fists on the bed. No brain, no words, simply bliss <3

JUST SOME MISC SHIT??

If you have a Chest Of Any Kind he wants those puppies IN HIS FACE. Big or small, he wants em <3. Pressed against his face? Seeing them bounce while you rail him? The softness and warmth makes his brain go stupid. ALL ABOUT THOSE CONTRASTING SENSORY EXPERIENCESSSSS 

50/50 on how high he’ll want to be. Sometime he prefers his Baseline Level Of Intoxications but,, othertimes he’s gonna pop an Assorted Bundle Of Shit

Aphrodisiacs, hard drugs, some shit he’s cooked up himself - usually those are the time’s he’s had A Fucking Day And A Half and,, seriously needs to get his brain fucked out. Please provide this <3

If you ask him to eat you out/suck you off <333 sometimes he’s just gonna melt naturally into body worship?? One minute his lips doing their Most to make you cum,, and then he’s licking at your stomach and thighs <3

he just gets,, very into it?? the taste of your skin, the texture (stretch marks, birth marks, old injuries, etc), the smell, etc. Completely shuts off his brain <3 he’ll positively lavish you in messy kisses and licks.

Prostate stimulation + your mouth on his tip = slack jawed, eyes rolled back, dead silence. 

Just,, slowly curling your fingers inside, while lapping along his frenulum? 

The lights upstairs shut off entirely. Nobody’s home. He’d let you do that shit for actual hours if you could keep it up smdnsd.

HH ANDRE LEE <333 LMK IF YOU HAD SMTH ELSE IN MIND,, THIS WAS SO FUN.

[hyperfixation-hideout]

I always take constructive criticism

[figofswords]

I’ve been reading batfam fanfic and sometimes there will be an author’s note that’s like “disclaimer I’ve never actually read the comics” and I mean this with a lot of love but like. yes. I can tell

[sylverstorms]

Miranda x Abigail ----The Song of the Crow Ch.1

If you prefer the Ao3 format, link here.

[Abigail]

The sun's light is slowly diminishing from the atmosphere.

With it, so are all notions of safety within the village.

People have already began hastily closing up shops and barricading themselves inside their homes.

She may have thought it was overly superstitious of them when she first moved here –or a strange, creepy custom— but a few days was all it took to realize this isn't as much a baseless fear as it is an absolute necessity.

The village belongs to its inhabitants during the day... and to its monsters at night.

The mad howling from the forest, drawing closer as the darkness deepens, is a common occurrence throughout the years of her stay.

She isn't an animal expert by any means, of course, but she's pretty sure normal wolves don't sound like that. They don't quite have that rasp nor that echo in the back of their cries... and they do not patrol settlements for anyone who hasn't heeded the local prophetess' warning to remain inside after sunfall, as if ordered to do so.

No. A lot of things aren't right with this village. Too many to count. But she knows she's not here to correct them, or to judge, or to really care.

She's only here to hide.

As for the rest, the strange happenings, the disappearances, the superstitions, she simply goes with the flow. Doesn't ask too many questions, doesn't let questions be asked about herself and her motives.

“Abigail!” A male voice suddenly calls to her from one of the closing shops, tucked off to the side of the snow-sprinkled road.

“Yes?” she turns, her calmness a stark contrast to most others in the neighborhood, already making a run for their homes when the sun isn't even close to setting yet.

“Lady Eira came by earlier, but I only realized a few minutes ago I didn't put the incense she bought in her bag! C-could you take this to her, please? Before...the sun sets?” He stutters. He knows what he's asking is reason enough for her to shove the bag he's presenting her with right back in his face.

Were it anyone else, that would be the outcome.

“Of course.” Abigail nods, instead, accepting the offering with ease.

The shopkeeper's eyes widen. A bow full of gratitude is given, before he locks up shop and retreats towards his own house.

Contrary to him, though, she doesn't see this as a demanding task at all. The village isn't that big, for her to worry she won't make it home if she takes a detour towards Lady Eira's, first.

Besides, Abigail feels she more than owes her, the woman who offered her a job –helping with all the house chores her frail body no longer allowed her to do herself— when she first came into the village, owning little more than the backpack on her shoulders.

Running a few kilometers to deliver her incense that will guarantee her safety for another night is really a non-issue in her eyes.

She gladly rushes to the old lady's door, earning wide-eyed looks along the way that go utterly ignored.

One knock on the heavy iron doorknob. Then, two. A single crow cries and flies away from the roof of the house, yet no further movement comes from within. Still, Abigail gives the elderly woman ample time to pick up her skull-tipped cane and make her way to her.

Except she never does.

“Lady Eira?” she calls from outside the gates to the yard. No reply.

Luckily, Abigail knows Eira never locks. Pushing the outer gate open is child's play for her and after years of tending to the woman's house she is sure the key will be hidden at a certain nook by the door.

A habit she has warned her multiple times about because she has seen exactly how fucked up people are in the outside world. This village can't be any different, with or without its peculiar cult-like beliefs.

Lady Eira has always brushed her off, however, saying there is no need to fear theft –or worse— under Mother Miranda's ever-watchful eye.

The village's blind faith in this woman never ceases to astound Abigail, but she initially thought perhaps Eira, in all her years and the wisdom born from them –this part is debatable, for most people simply call her mad— would know better.

An exasperated sigh escapes her lips as the lock turns. A quick apology is given when she enters the house. At first, she thinks the old lady is asleep. After a scan of the rooms, though, she comes to the shocking realization;

The house is empty.

With the sun's last light rapidly fading from the sky, Lady Eira is outside.

A cold chill, similar to an electric shock, runs through Abigail's body at the thought. Her heart starts pounding like a war drum in her chest. Knots form in her stomach.

What if she's lost? A dark part of her mind comes alive to ask. What if she's forgotten how to return? What if she's unable, trapped somewhere by a sprained ankle or worse?

But... it's getting late... Another, more reasonable, part argues.

...What if you can't help her, like you couldn't help Alex?

And it's that thought that does her in.

Abigail comes out of the old, quaint house like a hurricane. One look in the sky tells her the sun is drawing further and further away –no time for niceties.

“Hey, you!” she asks one of the last villagers left about, a man no older than forty, running to his home.

He ignores her. Big mistake. Abigail's gaze darkens as she walks up to him.

“Sir?” she tries again, polite through gritted teeth.

No answer. He remains with his back to her, trying to fit his key into the lock with shaking hands.

A flare burns across Abigail's nerves that she recognizes as her anger taking over her actions. She grabs the man's jacket at his back and harshly pulls him off the steps, like a dog on a leash.

“I'm talking to you!” her voice grows hoarser.

The local immediately curses and tries to swing a punch at her. “You fucking outsider!”

Abigail's past training kicks in, then. She grabs his arm and twists it behind his back in the same breath as she slams his face into the wall of his house.

“Do I have your attention now?” she asks. “Listen to me. You don't know who I am, where I come from, where I've been. But believe me when I say I have no issue leaving you out after dark.” she states, voice shrouded with the ice of someone who has already done terrible deeds.

The man struggles hopelessly, yet her hold does not give.

“Lady Eira wasn't home. Have you seen her? Do you know where she could have went?”

“W-what do you even care? If she's not home by now that crazy old hag is as good as dead anyway!” the man replies.

Abigail sees red for a moment. But a moment is all it takes for her to turn him around and shove him right back, by the throat, this time.

“Don't talk about her that way.” A voice in the back of her head is telling her to make sure he's never able to badmouth her again. “Answer the question.” Her fingers threaten to cut off all air supply.

“Agkh! Alright! I-I saw her going into the forest. I thought the ha- the old woman finally completely lost it.”

Another crow's caw draws both the man's and Abigail's gaze to the nearby streetlamp. The bird is looking straight at them with its black eyes.

“...M-Mother Miranda is watching.” the man starts whimpering.

Ah, not this shit again. Abigail thinks. She watches as he drops to his knees praying to the rumored prophetess just because of some bird. When she looks up, though, the crow is eerily still and gazing directly at her. A chill runs down Abigail's spine, but she shoves the creepiness aside.

“The fuck are you looking at?” she asks the bird, summoning the bravado she doesn't necessarily feel, for what she's about to do.

The crow doesn't move.

Abigail breaks the standstill when she turns... and takes off in the direction of the forest.

-

-

Why. Is the question she asks herself as she runs, nearly out of breath. Why do you endanger yourself for a woman you don't even really know?

There is no answer to be found in the spreading dark. There is only the clutch in her stomach at the sound of the first howls.

“Lady Eira?” Abigail calls. “Lady Eira are you here?!”

A twig snaps –and it makes her twist to its direction. Every muscle within her body is tense in a fight or flight reaction…

Until Abigail’s eyes catch sight of the telltale skull-tipped cane. Lady Eira comes into view not long after, moving slowly her way.

“What are you doing here at the witching hour, girl?”

“What am I doing here?!” Abigail’s voice sounds funny to her own ears, brimming with a mixture of relief and breathlessness and sheer fear. “I came looking for you! You weren’t at your house and I— and I—…”

“Well. I was just picking some herbs over here.” she says as if that’s the most logical thing in the world. Abigail begins to consider she really has lost it, as the rest of the village says.

“It’s after dark! Don’t you hear the howling?!”

“…What howling, child?”

Abigail stares at her, speechless. She opens her mouth, then closes it right back up. No way. No way, right? She’s just messing with me. She has got to be.

“Please, just let me escort you back.” she breathes out.

“…very well.” Lady Eira nods.

Abigail’s back tenses with nearly every howl, but at least they do not seem to be getting closer. Yet.

She has recited nearly every prayer she knows—

“Do not be so tense, oh brave one!” the old woman comments.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It just occurs to me that we can get eaten at any moment, but I’ll definitely try to relax.” Abigail rolls her eyes, chest heaving from the stress.

“Yes, do so. I have already told you; no bird flies in this sky nor beast walks upon this land if Mother Miranda does not allow it.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sure ‘Mother Miranda’ will really give a shit if an outsider becomes a wolf snack.” she replies. “Actually, I don’t think she cares about the village period, but let’s not argue right now.”

Abigail can hardly believe it when they make it to the old lady’s house and lock the gates, just in time for the dark to really settle.

She lets out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, before slumping against the shut door.

Lady Eira goes about the house, lighting up the incense candles and placing them outside the windowsills before pulling everything shut tight. She then sits in her favorite chair and observes Abigail with those eyes… eyes that look deep, past skin and pretenses. Eyes that look ancient and wise, unlike what others would claim.

“Tell me, girl. Why did you come looking for this old woman?”

Abigail tries to calm her racing heart as she focuses on the gloom outside for her reply. Ironic; To be asked the same question she asked herself multiple times.

“We are not related. Even if we were, few would risk their lives in this matter. Only the purest of loves and the highest of fools would venture outside at the hour you did.” When she talks like that, Abigail can’t think of her as senile.

“I don’t know.” It’s easier than busting her head open looking for the answer. She doesn’t care. She only cares for the fact they’re both still alive.

“But I wish to.” the old woman can get so demanding at times. “Is it because I offered you work when you came here?”

“No.”

“Because I remind you of someone? A grandmother you held dear, perhaps?”

Abigail can’t help but chuckle at that. If only Eira knew how fucked up her family was. That there had never been such a notion of a mother or a grandmother to hold her dear and to be held in such a way in return. There had only ever been—

“Call it the novelty of playing hero.” Abigail replies, curt and to the point like the officer she once was. “That’s all.”

“Do not think to lie to me, girl.” Eira slams the bottom of her cane on the ground and Abigail jumps. “You are not so shallow.”

A vein pops at Abigail’s forehead. “Because I was trying to prove something to myself, are you happy now?!” she snaps.

“Hmm… no.” The old lady shakes her head. Abigail thinks perhaps the wolves –or whatever roams the streets at night, anyway— will be better than this. “What is it?”

Abigail’s jaw clenches. “That I can be brave.” she lies with a straight face. Yet, somehow, she knows the old woman will call her out on her bluff.

“That you can be good.”

The certain way she delivers the sentence, as if it’s a universal fact, feels like a slash. Abigail feels slashed open. Somewhere in the depths of her eyes, the beginning traces of tears sting.

She remains silent.

Thankfully, Eira does not ask any more questions before she tells her to sleep on the couch.

The monsters won’t be going anywhere whether her eyelids stay open or not.

-

-

[Miranda]

Shortly after the girl’s breathing has evened out, she allows the guise to fall.

Ink-black wings slowly fan out behind the elderly woman, until they engulf her whole. Soon, ‘Eira’ is no more. In her place stands Miranda in her full height, stretching her sore neck. This old woman's form is always so uncomfortable.

The prophetess walks over to the modest, wooden coffee table in front of the sleeping girl and takes a seat on it. Ice-blue eyes study her closely.

Such an enigma, this one. Running out after sunfall for a mad, old woman. One moment stressing about being good and the next shoving a man into a wall face-first, all but threatening to break his arm if he doesn’t cooperate.

Of course, Miranda saw. She sees everything that transpires in her village.

Abigail, she thinks, would make a great host for the Cadou. Her military background is not hard to see, with the discipline she always has about her, the reflexes, the combat skills, the toned lines of muscle visible on her arms when she works. She has the body to withstand the parasite and the will to not be driven mad by it.

But.

Although those are certainly factors, they are not the only ones. There are far too many hidden parameters to the process and she’s still studying what makes the Cadou truly favor one host over another.

On one hand, Miranda is curious about Abigail. On the other… she really doesn’t want to ruin such a fine specimen on a whim.

Especially when she has already found a suitable vessel for her daughter’s resurrection. All that’s needed now is to acquire it.

Until that time comes, Abigail can make the mind-numbingly boring hours she pretends to be the old lady pass by a little faster. There is no need to risk breaking her most interesting distraction to date.

Abigail shifts, her pretty face scrunching cutely in her sleep. She settles for a little while, then stirs again. Her brow furrows deeper. This time, she looks like she’s hurting.

“Alex…” comes out in a broken whisper. “Don’t go…”

Miranda wonders if it’s a past lover she’s calling for, or a friend, or a family member. She knows the pain of the latter never truly goes away, not even in sleep.

There is no refuge from it for herself… but she has the power to make Abigail calm, even for a little while.

The thing is, Miranda is not the prophet of a magnanimous god, nor would she ever call herself compassionate in any way or capacity. She doesn’t even fully understand why she bothers to move her hand atop the other woman’s forehead, where her silky brown hair is mussed from sleep.

A silent command; And the nightmare vanishes from her mind. Her expression eases, relaxes once more, her fingers unclench from the white-knuckled fists she had them in.

Consider this a gift for your bravery.

Miranda rises, then and walks to the door. When she steps outside, the beasts that roam the land all turn towards her, curving into deep bows.

Icy eyes glance upon them once, the gates of ‘Eira’s’ home pulled shut behind her.

Silent as the grave, black wings once again shroud Miranda’s form. When they break apart into dissipating feathers, a flock of crows flies away into the night.

-

Ko-Fi

[cupcraft]

I also think for me, it's been interesting to see now how c!Tubbo regards attachments on the server. Like it's interesting to watch him and c!Tommy both lose attachments on the server but regard them differently.

Like c!Tommy fears things being used against him for sure, but his response still is his unwavering attachment to people (c!Wilbur namely). He still loves and find safety and hope in connection. He still regards L'Manberg and the discs of objects of freedom, autonomy, but also all of it has and still continues to be due to his connection to people. It's not to say he does not have fear, or issues with trust.

c!Tubbo we have seen lose it all and that has affected him quite differently. He lies to c!Aimsey about being attached to people (c!Ranboo), he's barely talked/hung around Ghostboo at all, he moved out of the mansion, he does not notice his original home has been rebuilt into a fortress, he does not think about the missing nuke, he focuses on progress and work. It's a fresh start, but it's also a way to push things to the side. Like c!Tubbo loves and he cares, but where c!Tommy tries to give people chances even when it hurts (ex. sending c!Dream an invite to the hotel), c!Tubbo takes away those chances even if it hurts him or others.

[oscalesoffeeling]

i don't know if it's normal to have an f/o who lives in your head most hours of the day and guides you through your day and whom you carry on-going conversations with and at this point i'm too afraid to ask

[padfootastic]

Hello!

Do you have a hc about the electives Sirius and James took?

They were brilliant and in my mind, I don't see them taking Divination or Muggle Studies (Sirius and James would have definitely sneaked out into the Muggle world to learn about them instead of sitting in a class😂)

oooh this is interesting (and new 👀)

i agree with you! sirius and james were super intelligent and i think all their exploits with the animagi transformation + marauders map shows they need something intellectually/magically stimulating to keep them occupied at all times. (also, i will die on the hill that they were nerds)

so, with the electives we know of, i think ancient runes and arithmancy make the most sense, for both of them. i can totally see james taking care of magical creatures because he loves being hands-on and any opportunity to interact with different magical creatures would be appealing to him.

with muggle studies, i think they took it initially, because they are curious about the muggle world (third year is a bit too early for informed rebellion, yeah?). sirius grew up fully sheltered in a blood supremacist home and james had kind of a lonely childhood with his elderly pureblood parents, so both of them are a bit ignorant. but i imagine they sit through one class of immensely backward and boring theory, look at each other incredulously because ‘this is what wizards are so afraid/disdainful of? quills that work without ink and plastic animals that float in water? no way’ and basically decide to self-study through hidden visits into the muggle world + talking to muggleborn/halfblood students about it.

[breezeinmonochromenight]

Hate that that Harry Potter game is getting attention… 😒

does hogwarts have men in burger king masks (a helm you can absolutely obtain and wear yourself btw) ruining your day? bc im geussing no. flop. next.

[mymarifae]

i took like 5 benadryl to help me get sleepy so now i’m getting those Sleepytime Images and i knew i’d need to share this one w u bc it involves ur epic girlboss giselle so here we go:

i kno u mentioned how toriel and giselle have a very tense relationship and how kris and berdly dating Might pose some problems for giselle so just. imagine if you will. kris and berdly decide to go to the sadie hawkmans dance (or prom or whatever big dance of ur choice) like As A Thing. not just as friends but like. yknow. Going Together. and giselle’s happy on one hand bc ohhh her little boy is growing up he has a date!!!!! but on the other hand she’s like ah fuck. now i ACTUALLY have to talk to toriel (not for like. permission or anything. but esp w a big dance u gotta like coordinate outfits and meeting times and who’s taking pictures at What House—idk i went to prom alone but i remember this being a thing for a lot of my friends in relationships)

so she decides to be the mature adult abt things and invites toriel and kris over to her house for dinner (w berdly there of course). and Oh My God does it go poorly. shit is just AWKWARD right off the bat like giselle will try a joke and it just Does Not Land w toriel and so she just has to laugh it off while thinking “jesus christ is this how asgore feels???” like idk i don’t think toriel holds active animosity but i’m sure whatever lore u have for them both means toriel isn’t giselle’s biggest fan. esp w seeing berdly being so emotionally shut-in and independent. and it’s awkward for berdly and kris too bc they want this dinner to Work bc they want their parents to Like Each Other so things aren’t Weird but they’re also not rlly sure how to help??? and also they’re just nervous in general bc now the parent of their partner is here in the room w them so they both must be on their best behavior

this is mostly bc i’m picturing a dinner scene a la shrek 2 and i think it is so real it hurts. it’s made even better by the thought that giselle is probably so not used to cooking big meals since she mostly orders out (or berdly cooks for himself—he’s actually pretty good) so the cooking scene is a nightmare and it rlly colors the dinner scene So Well. by the end of the night things do get better tho. i think giselle and toriel sit w wine while the two kids play video games in berdlys room and they talk abt life and being single moms and giselle gets like. rlly honest?? which is New for her. and toriel can tell she means well and rlly is taking big leaps in being a strong presence in berdlys life so they forge a kind of bond. maybe a friendship! maybe not. up to u honestly it’s ur character i just like playing in the space and had to share :-)

eating a salad rn and the shrek 2 bit made me inhale a piece of lettuce because every time i think of that scene i think about this specifically now

so i was just imagining giselle spinning around in her office chair - that she for some bizarre reason decided to bring to the dinner table instead of sitting in a normal chair - while toriel glares daggers and kris and berdly watch in awkward silence. and it killed me

ANYWAY IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING THIS UP because i was actually thinking about the same scenario. berdly actually didn't tell giselle he was going to the dance with kris as a Date at first, because just. habit of not talking to her about important things. and then he belatedly remembers they're on better terms so he tells her, awkwardly, and he's like BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT OR ANYTHING, it's just a silly little dance.

much to his despair, giselle does make a big deal about it and she's like pestering him with questions about what he's going to wear, what kris is going to wear, are you two coordinating??? you two better be coordinating-- by this point she's known they were dating but if they're serious enough to go to the dance together, aka something that is really not up either of their alleys AT ALL,

maybe she should do that thing she's been putting off for a while now. talking to toriel. establishing just a bit of common ground with her. and so Dinner

toriel doesn't hold active animosity at all !! it's more so something giselle has fostered like - SHE responded to toriel with unnecessary hostility and toriel was like ok that's the game we're playing...?? basically toriel reached out to her a long time ago, when berdly was in her elementary class, because she had concerns about giselle's parenting and was worried she was letting work eat up too much of her time. stuff like giselle always being the last parent to come pick up berdly after school, berdly's marked aversion to joining the other kids in play, etc.

giselle's kind of a young mom? i guess if berdly is like 15-16 she's like... 34. so when this confrontation happened, she was still quite the hotheaded, spunky youngster (she's mellowed out a lot now). and she didn't take kindly to toriel's "overstepping" and kind of. blew up. "berdly is an incredibly capable child and does not need me smothering him the way YOU smother your own children."

yeah idk it's basically a butting of heads over parenting styles. toriel believes a child needs constant nurturing, and giselle believes a child needs Room to grow and needs the space to do their own thing. both of them take their respective approaches too far - toriel IS in fact smothering, and giselle is too distant. toriel has always been more mature than giselle and has been open to reconciliation from day one, if giselle will bow her head and take the steps to pursue it. which she hasn't been humble enough to do Until Now

the dinner is a bit of a mess. giselle is not a good cook and underestimates how long food takes to cook, so kris and toriel arrive a long time before anything is ready. berdly is Trying to help. he's begging her to let him help because she's so bad at this it's painful to watch. she keeps shooing him away - "i'm being a mom right now okay?! I'M going to cook for YOU." and once kris gets there she bans him from the kitchen entirely ("what is kris going to think? go spend time with them!")

i was thinking toriel actually helps her finish dinner instead ^^ which eases some of the tension and makes it easier for them to connect a bit later, when the kids aren't present. because when a teenager feels awkward they have this special power of making everyone else in the room feel 10x more awkward than they do. it's painful to sit through and berdly and kris eat as fast as physically possible and excuse themselves and i really do like the idea of toriel and giselle sitting together over a glass of wine or two... they'll never be besties but they have the potential to become decent friends once giselle sets some of her fiery pride aside :)

[danascullysjournal]

X Files Fanfic Question: reblog and tell me….

A. All the fluff and love only?

Or

B. Danger/fear/loss followed by comfort, love etc?

[r0nnietherat]

Okay but was teenage Dennis actually in love with Maureen or was she just an escape from his terribly shitty home life and therefore he felt safe around her? (And this means he had no bad memories of her, which is why he sought her out after Mac went on his anti gay rant. Cuz from what he can remember, shes the closest thing he had to love after Mac)

Was teenage Dennis actually in love with Maureen or was he just feeling weird things around his very best friend and she was the closest thing he had to help sweep that under a rug?

Was Dennis actually in love with Maureen or did he just feel like somebody was actively choosing him for once?

anyways if this post is stupid it’s not my fault cuz it’s 3am ! U cannot blame me!