#but I thought it would be interested to have other muses participate if they wanted to

[infernal-feminae]

This announcement would appear on the official Carmine Industries social media page. Along with this message:

"Rekindled Passion - A sight that will take your breath away, watch a soul soar on fire. Witness Carmilla Carmine's solo performance and let her lethal grace enchant you completely."

Like or comment on this post to let me know that your muse is interested in attending Carmilla's performance. This event will take place March 9th at 7 pm CT. Graphic was made by the amazing and talented @infernal-general!

[cringe--is--dead]

Nekoma x Reader; manager!reader

You Won’t Be Alone

“You need to join a club— something. Anything!”

Your parents' concerns rang loud in your head. It wasn’t your fault you had to move schools in the beginning of your second year. You had friends, you had clubs and things you participated in. Now you had nothing. A few friendly classmates, sure, but that was all.

Clubs were almost entirely filled at this rate anyways, and anyone that was still accepting members meant you had to go meet new people who already formed their own groups. You’d be the outcast, more than you already felt like you were.

Idly, you kicked at a rock that was laying on the ground beneath your feet; you were trying to kill time, hoping to brainstorm some solution before you made your way home.

The art club? There were some mediums you were decent at, but you also saw some of the showcases from other students— safe to say that club had some artists that would most definitely be studied in the future.

What about the literature club? While you enjoyed reading, something about reading at school made the notion far less fun. Not to mention you had met the club leader earlier that month, and while nice, she was intimidating.

Grumbling to yourself, you stopped walking, leaning against one of the building's walls, watching birds fly overhead. They cawed at each other, and the group in the sky made you feel more alone.

Great, you mused, jealous of birds now.

Your thought process was interrupted, rather sharply, as you watched a ball come flying out of the building you had been leaning against. Lucky for you, you were nowhere near the door— the speed at which the ball hit the dirt would have definitely bruised you.

Pushing forward, you decided to be a decent person, picking the ball up and moving slowly to the open gym door. You hadn’t made a point to pay attention to any of the teams your school had, not out of disdain but mostly fear.

If you showed any interest your dad would definitely force you to partake in some way.

“Um,” You stopped at the entrance of the door, holding the ball tightly in your arms, watching as the people before you continued moving.

Volleyball.

One of the people, one of the coaches you supposed, noticed you, coming over to retrieve the ball.

“Thank you,” He spoke softly, smiling at you, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses, “They’ve been a bit overzealous lately.”

You nodded, handing the ball over, your eyes drifting back to those practicing.

You recognized one of them, some of them were in your year.

Fukanaga Shohei. You and he weren’t close by any means, but he was funny.

“They’re good, aren’t they?”

The coach's voice made you jump, cheeks flushing as you realized you had been staring.

“Oh— I’m sorry!” You turned, bowing in an apology, “I just…”

He smiled at you, “I’m coach Naoi.”

You introduced yourself, “Second year. I actually just transferred here a few weeks ago.”

“I hope the school’s been treating you well.”

You smiled, “No complaints yet.”

“Oi, Naoi!” The pair of you turned, the older coach having caught on to his assistant being distracted, “Care to invite your guest in?”

His shouting caused the team to look over, a lul in their practice as they took in the presence of an outsider. Your face felt like it was on fire.

“Oh— no! I’m so sorry! I was just returning a ball!”

Naoi chuckled, “One second,” He turned to you, eyebrow raising slightly, “You can come watch if you want.”

“I— I wouldn’t want to impose,” You crossed your arms, still feeling the gaze of the team on you.

“Are we getting a manager?” The question sounded more like a shout, and one of the members clutched his chest rather dramatically, “Take that Karasuno!”

“If you don’t scare her off with your shouting,” He either hadn’t heard the dig aimed at him or didn’t care.

Cautiously, you removed your sneakers, sock covered feet against the floor beneath you as you followed behind coach Naoi, keeping your gaze lowered.

“Well?” The older coach turned his attention back to his team, “Get on with it! Yamamoto, get up.”

You took a seat next to him, shoes laid across your lap, bag pressed close to your calves.

“Coach Nekomata,” He introduced himself to you, barely taking his attention from his team, “You join any clubs yet?”

“Oh, uh,” You swallowed, your throat suddenly dry, “No. Not yet. I haven’t found a good fit yet.”

“Lev, your receives still suck.”

“Yaku!”

You focused your attention forward, watching as the taller guy, one you somehow hadn’t noticed yet, got scolded, his shoulders drooping into himself.

“You have any interest in volleyball?”

You side eyed the man, his posture relaxed and unbothered, and you heard Naoi sigh from your other side.

“I… think it’s an interesting sport.”

“Oh?” He sounded amused, “Just interesting?”

You watched the balls fly around the court, people yelling out praises or playful insults at one another, “Yeah. Only ever seen it on TV a few times.”

“Hm,” He nodded, saying nothing more.

The three of you lapsed into silence, merely watching as the warmups switched, and you felt yourself losing tension in your body. Watching them was entertaining, the way they played and talked— they made it look fun.

They were all drenched in sweat, heavy breathing, some of their forearms looked red as did their knees. But they were smiling and laughing, though winded they may be.

“Yamamoto, the loudmouth, is right in his own way,” Coach Nekomata’s voice seemed to snap you back to reality, and you turned to look at him curiously, finding his attention already on you, “We could use a manager. Lord knows I could use the help with these hard heads.”

“Kenma, set it up!”

The one that had shouted when you came in was, once again, shouting. You didn’t know how to respond to the coach, so you turned, watching as the one with longer dyed hair set the ball, and the loudmouth, Yamamoto, went running forward.

He jumped, and in a split second, hit the ball over the net, the sound echoing in the gym, and you swore you felt the air from the ball move your hair.

“Woah,” You almost whispered the simple praise to yourself, unaware of the smug look on Coach Nekomata’s face, and the bemused one on Coach Naoi’s.

You licked your lips, turning away from where Yamamoto was singing his own praises, “Would I learn?”

You clarified, “If I… became a manager. I’d have to learn how volleyball works, first. Then how to actually be a good manager. I— I don’t have experience with either of those.”

Nekomata smiled at you, a kind look on his face, “Our team does one thing best above all else— connecting. If you become our manager, you wouldn’t be learning on your own, you won’t be alone. This I promise.”

You sighed, looking back towards the court. They seemed to be taking a small break, the unnamed members talking and joking, the one who had set the ball was getting his hair messed with, though he looked annoyed, he didn’t move away to stop it.

You won’t be alone.

That sounded… nice.

“How do I apply?”

[normal-paldean-student]

Muse Mixup Madness—April 1, 2024

(if you don't know what this is, see this post)

after a bit of a delay (my apologies for that!) it's time for our third round of muse mixup madness prompts! it's going to be a bit of a weird one given the holiday this falls on, but you can rest assured that's just for this one, and it'll all be back to normal next month.

before we get into the prompts, i want to say one thing explicitly. muse mixup madness is always optional, and there are no rules. if you'd rather do your own april fools' event, do that. if you want to do your own event but one of the prompts still appeals to you, there's nothing stopping you from using the prompt later in the month.

and of course, a reminder that if your muse mixup madness event involves potentially triggering themes that aren't typical for your blog, it's important to give your followers a warning and provide a way to blacklist that content.

with all that out of the way, it's prompt time! except for the last one, all of this month's prompts are low fantasy.

1. Wait, Who's This?

Everyone's had a passing thought of a muse that interests them, but isn't one they necessarily want to make a blog for. With this prompt, you'll be switching your main muse out for one of the ones that lives in your head, just for the day!

2. One-Two Switcheroo (requires partner)

It's time to put the "mixup" in Muse Mixup Madness! With your partner, before the event, take turns infodumping about your characters. Then on the day of, it's time for the two of you to see how well you can play each other's muses! As always, it's up to you how canon you want this to be.

3. You're Not Acting Like You

Every character has a few core personality traits. What would happen if you took one of them and inverted it? How much else needs to change for them to have turned out like that?

4. Sending You To Eebydeeby (high fantasy: may involve sapient pokémon)

What if your human character was a Pokémon instead? What if your Pokémon character was a human instead? With this prompt, it's time to explore that!

as usual, please leave a vote on the poll below for my records! also as usual, this is in no way binding and you're free to change your mind after voting.

[tenyearsoftrash]

Ten Years of HTP: A Celebration

Hi all, I (@eatingcroutons) set up this blog with all sorts of intentions about preparation and promotion and then Life Things Happened, but I'm still hoping to go forward with the idea of encouraging some nostalgia and memory-sharing about the last ten years of the HYDRA Trash Party.

The aim here is to be more of a celebration of community rather than your typical prompt fest - if you're looking for prompts for fanworks you might want to check out the @catws-anniversary that has just kicked off and will run until the 4th of April, or of course refer back to the Trash Meme itself!

So for this blog's purposes, feel free to post informal thoughts and musings and ramblings, and to comment on each other's memories - this is all about our shared history and nostalgia, and the idea is for it to be an open dialogue and celebration of community. A few points on logistics:

Anonymous asks and submission are open on this blog if you'd prefer not to participate under a named account. We all know how hostile certain corners of fandom have become to darkfic and adjacent content.

For all the themes below self-recs are also very welcome, if you want a chance to show off something you made years ago that hasn't gotten much attention in a while!

Go ahead and tag this blog at @tenyearsoftrash for a reblog of anything you post about the below themes!

All that said, here are some suggested themes and ideas to get you thinking and reminiscing:

April 4: Rewatch CA:TWS!

Take yourself right back to where it all began! With too many people across too many timezones we're not going to even try to organise a massive synchronised groupwatch, but maybe you could get a few of your old-school HTP buddies together to do a smaller one? In any case: fire up the movie, relive all the feels, and share any HTP-related thoughts that come (back) to mind after all these years!

April 5: Fanwork Recs

Go back and dig up some links to your favourite HTP fanworks - whether big or small, well-known or niche, what are the works that have really rewritten your brain chemistry, and stuck with you all this time? What was it about them that hit just the right spot? Feel free to share your thoughts on Tumblr - and to go back and drop a nostalgic comment on anything on AO3 😉

April 7: Meta Recs

Over the years there's been a lot of meta associated with HTP, from discussions of what CA:TWS and HYDRA represent in a broader social context, to endless back-and-forth about darkfic's place in fandom. Are there any posts that really made you think, or that remain relevant even now? Is there anything that came out of those meta discussions that has turned out to be particularly prescient, in hindsight?

April 8: HTP Fanon

What are your favourite bits of shared or personal fanon around HTP and its related concepts? Are there any Original Characters you're particularly fond of? Any particular tropes regarding characters or events that you will never get tired or bored of? Any ideas that might seem cracky on the surface but which you are totally into regardless?

April 8: Other Media/Fandoms

We've all had those moments where we've come across something in a new canon and immediately been like, "Oh, this is delicious trash bait," right? What other media has had a "Bucky Barnes Obediently Accepts The Bite Block" moment for you? What other characters might your fellow HTP friends enjoy as interesting targets for Trash Party Shenanigans? In what fandoms have you found yourself running into an awful lot of familiar HTP faces?

April 9: WIP Amnesty

Do you have any HTP fanworks that you never finished, or never got around to starting, for whatever reason? Now's your excuse to talk about them! Feel free to ramble about what your plans would have been, lament why they're never going to happen, or share some of those great ideas you never quite had time to plot out. Or, if you're feeling particularly inspired, go back and actually finish something off!

April 10: HTP Community Memories

To finish off the week let's talk about the community itself! What have been the good times, the interesting times, any times that have been personally significant to you, for any reason? What things have you experienced or shared or understood with or through or because of the HTP community? What new friends have you made over the years, and what old friends do you miss?

---

Apologies again for taking some time to getting around to making this post, but hopefully people will still be interested in doing some reminiscing!

[foxes-that-run]

A TTPD theory

Take this as fiction, or view it as a thought experiment in how what we see can be taken in a number of ways. We are not privy to anything in Taylors life but her lyrics, social media posts and paparazzi photos, and for many years Taylor has been a continuous participant in pap photos as promotion, and keenly engaged and aware of how her fanbase reads things. I think most fans think what she wants them too, which isn't always her actual experience. She has told us this in songs like Dear Reader, Mirrorball and a lot of TTPD. Taylor has also acted out or given quotes to seed songs, in the lead up to or after their release before too.

In this post I talked about how the TTPD prologue has three muses and I'll highlight this line after the 'cosmic' muse I think is Harry:

So, here's my fan fiction/thought experiment. To me I think what started as wishing to be in a different relationship, became friendly flirting. Where I think it went wrong was in wanting different things at the time, as Taylor said in the prologue, 'some stars ever align', I still hope they do one day.

We start our story at the 2021 Grammy's (March 2021)

2021 timeline

Harry and Taylor were seen together for the first time in 6 years at the 2021 Grammy's, where both were seen looking at the other and they spoke. Their body language in the video of them talking is interesting. Taylor is leaning forward, gesturing a lot, she looks confident but also tense. Harry is the one to start it, but he looks away when she says something and it looks like he ends the conversation with pleasantries. She goes home and writes High Infidelity about resenting a partner and having an affair, outing April 29 in the process. He writes As it Was and Love of My Life about accepting something special is gone forever.

TTPD guesses for this time:

I look through people's windows - I think this song refers to the 2021 Grammy's, it refers to the muse catching their breath, tilting their head. They are someone close now distant. Sliding doors and what if's. It sounds like that conversation.

Guilty as Sin? - This song is seems early in Taylors thinking about leaving Joe, she is feeling guilty about wishing she was with someone else. High Infidelity we know was written then is oddly similar, but GAS is a current thought process with Haylor links.

Peter - I think it fits for vibes of 'life was easier on you'

May - August - Brit Awards (May 2021)

They saw each other again at the Brits in May when I think Glitch was written, Joe was in Belfast filming then.

On July 24 2021, for the anniversary of Folklore Taylor posted a photo of herself with two (double album) coffee cups (Karma MV) and text which could fit into an Eras tour Betty Speech, highlighting 'victorian ghost' and The Lakes (poets)

On 18 June 2021 Taylor announces Red TV and says “tortured by memories past”

TTPD guesses for this time:

Tortured Poets Department (because she refers to it in September and in the Red TV Announcement.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys - the Red TV announcement refers to Wild that is on TTPD 11 times and Red 4 times, most in that song. Taylor also used the sandcastles in 1989 Spotify Visuals

August - October 2021

This is where I wonder if a friendship was becoming flirtatious. Or with the rerecording of Red and being unhappy with Joe if perhaps Taylor was thinking more about a road not taken. Taylor had a version of the title track written and decided it was a title track and an emerging aesthetic to easter egg by September 2021. Harry was very overt too, on their anniversary he performed in white satin in Nashville wearing the Peace Ring. I think it was a flirtation then.

recorded Red (Taylors Version) in Belfast visiting Joe so was in the Haylor feels

posted this TikTok of a Glitch while recording Red TV and a request for Wildest Dreams TV

went on Fallon to promote ATW where she easter egged Typewriters, and said would try to drop easter eggs 3 years advance.

At the Tribeca Film Festival she again mentioned Typewriters, an album with an acronym, tortured poets and manuscript. She would try to drop easter eggs 3 years in advance.

Released the ATW short film with typewriters super clear and and included them in the merch too.

Harry has the first heart kiss since 2018 in St Paul! Then wears all white satin and wears and plays with his Peace Ring (for the first time in years) to perform in Nashville while Taylor in town, a few days after their anniversary, and adds To Be So Lonely to the setlist. Then he records Satellite.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Manuscript because of Red TV records (and referred to at Tribeca)

November and December 2021

This is when the majority of Midnights was written. Taylor was also not seen much after the ATW release, Joe was in Panama. You're Losing Me was recorded, if TTPD songs are from here that's hard to tell. Harry was MIA for 2 weeks before Taylors birthday and in this period Taylor wore a Gucci Lion Ring to Zoe's birthday, interesting with the amount of ring talk on TTPD. Question…? Written.

2022

2022 timeline

Matty Healy first worked with Jack sometime after 5 January.

21 January - Charlie Puth includes painting a red fence in his MV he later refers to when promoting TTPD. - So the left typewriter/Charlie Puth of it all is way too early for MH.

April 2022, Harry said “to BFs everywhere F U” which I think was directed at Joe. So he knew whatever Joe did. Drake also shouted out supportively Taylor on 19 April. Joe's costar's name in the final cut of CWF (Ep 3, 11:55).

Harry's House released on Harry and Taylors 20 May anniversary. As it was MV beforehand.

I still think it was Joever (or they were on a break) May 2022

In November I posted that I thought Midnight was the break up album. Suggesting that I think Joe and Taylor broke up by May 2022. I had thought that Joe may have agreed to a number of appearances to provide them both time to process and ready themselves for Taylors fans finding out.

I still think this, though perhaps it also could have been a break. The speed with which Taylor moved on could have that the break up was raw for us, not her.

I primarily thought this because Joe was at a random Hollywood party rather than her NYU Graduation, and she stopped liking his IG posts then, which she had done reliably.

This is to say, I think Taylor held back in Midnights and at least some of it was written before the 2 years she said at the Grammy's.

August - October 2022

By August friendly flirtation had been going on for a year, Harry dressed for eras as the rerecords were announced. They were in communication so much he knew when she was announcing things before she did. On the night of the VMAs he was dressed in blue stars to match her Midnights after party dress while Joe dragged her out to a car. I wonder if Fortnight was set after they were both at TIFF then New York for 2 weeks during Harry's residency, Harry seemed to be really struggling after that. My guess is that with the impending bad press of the Nanny/OWs relationship - any part in it being Joever would have been out of the question.

August 2022 - Harry and OW are in a Rolling Stone interview, they interviewed them in April and it came much later, but I think this is referred to in loml and something Taylor would have especially not liked given her desire for a power couple

The OW/Shia drama came to light and that relationship looked done by 5 September at the DWD premiere.

7 September - 30 October Harry wore the Peace Ring again at HSLOT shows. They were both at the Tiff Film Festival, (where Taylor mentioned typewriters again).

They were then both in New York during his residency ending 21 September, where he also played Ever Since New York for the first time in 4 years. This is my guess for when Fortnight is set.

There were blinds Joe was texting other people.

The TTPD Spotify room included a safe (vault) from Toronto 👀

In October 6 - 10 Harry postponed 2 shows due to Illness, with Sony saying Harry was not unwell. Now, other Sony artists postponed shows and this Reddit thread suggests it is over the Nanny scandal (but I don't think Harry would be so cut up about that story to cancel shows and call his mum) so there could be lots of reasons for this. But it is a real anomaly.... and Anne and Gemma flew from England to support him when he performed again.

12 October - Charlie Puth easter eggs TTPD on Fallon.

Midnights was released and Joe carried a coffee table book to avoid touching Taylor in the pap walk

Eras Tour training started September 2022 - in the Time interview Taylor said she stopped drinking and ran on the treadmill for 6 months before tour began. The Typewriters were also in the Eras set for The Man.

"This time, she began training six months ahead of the first show. “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud,”" and "“Learning choreography is not my strong suit.” With the exception of Grammy night—which was “hilarious,” she says—she also stopped drinking. “Doing that show with a hangover,” she says ominously. “I don’t want to know that world.”

TTPD guesses for this time:

Fortnight - I think the references to a cheating husband (current tense) and wife, (the Clean lyric similarity of watering flowers) places this here. I think the August 2022 Rolling Stone with OW is part inspiration for that line. Also functioning alcoholic/time magazine quote, here or soon after.

loml - this song would have come after Harry's House. I think the Valiant Roar is a reference to the August 2022 Rolling Stone Interview with OW and Harry, I also wonder about June 2022.

Down Bad - This fits narratively if the Fortnight was September and it ended in October that puts Taylor 'down bad crying at the gym' while preparing for the Eras tour. The staring at the sky / CBBH reference also make sense to be after Taylor heard Satellite and re-recorded Red TV.

BDILH - Based on my theory on it ending due to scandals I think this fits here, at least in a starting form.

November - December 2022

This period is unknown to me, OW and Harry BUA, Harry bought a Ferrari he never drove. He was last seen driving in December 2022. Joe said Tortured Man's Club in an interview. Taylor and Joe go to New Orleans, seemingly argue and she visits a recording studio. So if not completely over this looks like a final blow.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Fresh Out of the Slammer is recorded in New Orleans

January - March 2023

Taylor performed at The 1975 concert, Harry rumoured there. Matty Healy accused Harry of Queer Baiting and Blinds that he hated Harry. Harry started being driven places.

Taylor went over to Harry at the Grammy's and was enthusiastic supporting him. I feel like things between Harry and Taylor were friendly, but I think that was it, she was initiating. He recorded the Satellite music video but then kept it in his pocket until May, maybe something started earlier, when things were different and finished then later. Joe was seen at the Grammy's with Jack and posted a photo of meredith. Harry tours Australia, slides into Influencer Yan Yan's DM's. He adds Woman to the setlist and kisses his heart. ER kiss. At the end of the month MHs ex says they were going fine.

TTPD guesses for this time:

imgonnagetyouback - because of him fixing his hair at the Grammy's

April & May 2023

Joever announced. I have a long post on the Maylor thing. My perspective is that Harry wasn't up for more than friends at that time, Matty is known for deep resentment of Harry. Matty & Taylor were both on tour, they weren't in the same city apart from the handful of times they were seen, and they were overseas from each other when it started and ended... and Matty implied it was not sincere. Taylors team also said it was not serious. Fans see it differently and that's OK. But to me it was trolling of the highest order from them both.

On 9 April Harry played golf at Augusta Georgia and disappeared for 2 weeks. In April 12 Taylor wore the Gucci Lion ring, she went to Florida, MH in Australia, HS MIA last seen in Georgia. If the Fortnight is a literal affair I think it is here. Most of the MH public stuff was after that. Harry also added Stockholm Syndrome and Grapejuice to his setlist and seen outside Cartier before Taylor starts wearing the Necklace after their old anniversary. It's a mess. The MH thing ended.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Songs recorded, but like Fresh out the slammer they are likely started earlier. I think the daily pap works with nicely matching photos is to have everything happen in this 'neater' timeline.

Alchemy - Taylor said this title in the Cruel Summer speech in March, Taylor may have added to it later.

Florida!!! - ... HS was in the US, MH was not.

June

June is when I think things went really bad. I think this is where Taylor 'tore it all down with one conversation', which based on the Time magazine may have been wanting something public. Angry I don't wanna live forever Surprise Song and wild Betty Speeches:

"James, and he really, really, really messes things up bad with the love of his life, and he has to try to get her back, and apologize very sincerely, and profusely, and say he’s going to change and be better, and that’s all he has to do."

Taylor crying in a car in pap photos. Deux Moi reports Taylor attended HSLOT at Wembley. TR attends one Wembley show, we don't know which. Harry played Sweet Creature, maybe for Gemma's baby. The same night Taylor played Seven and said:

"I’ve always just had something happen to me, or feel a feeling, for even like seven seconds, if I feel a feeling, it’ll be like, ‘Oh! I have to write a song about this seven seconds of me feeling this way.’ It’s like, it’s genuinely been like, it’s not really a job, it’s like a full coping mechanism" ... (TTPD hint) ... "radical, the idea of a man apologizing in a beautiful, heartfelt, sincere way.’ I’m not talking about any of you. If you’re here, you’re exempt. You’re a really emotionally intelligent group. I’m sort of talking about other people right now.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Black dog, down bad, FOTS recorded, but not necessarily written.

loml - I think it fits here because Harry put Stockholm Syndrome with "I'll never leave" on the setlist in the place of Love of My Life.

Prophecy

BDILH

The rest is in the 2023 timeline

[wakacreations]

Zevlor: Before We Depart

Keepsake: I will treasure it always.

Authors Note:

Inspired by this piece by @sanriowendigo. I hope you do not mind.

Word Count: 689

Summary:

There is still a couple hours left before the tiefling caravan departs to Baldur's Gate. The Hellrider Commander participates in one of Tav's hobbies in the meantime but does he really need to be shirtless to do so?

Zevlor wasn't sure what you meant by that request. He must have misheard surely but you held out your hand and prompted again. While he wasn't the least bit uncomfortable being shirtless around others but it was you. The person who swiftly swung in his literal defense. The adventurer who demolished the goblin encampment. The hero who graced his kin with a safe passage to Baldur's Gate. In one swift motion, his shirt was in the palm of your hands. How could he deny you? There he stood proud awaiting for further instructions. You stood there frozen, eyes widened.

"Are you alright? Was there something the matter?" Your trance was broken by the worry of my words.

"Hold still and do not move a muscle." You moved quickly towards your pack. Within your arms a collection of various brushes and paints justled about.

"One more moment, Zevlor." You scurried back and forth with an easel. When you were settled into your station. You gave a thumbs up.

"Tav, not that I want to dissuade you from your artistic pursuits but wouldn't you prefer another person to muse or perhaps a landscape?" What is there to capture of his likeness on a canvas? Weathered scars haunted by time and regrets were all that he was now. Should such a thing be painted? His ears folded at the thought.

You continued your brush strokes on the canvas. "No, I would not be interested in any other. You know Zevlor, you are the perfect muse," you chuckled. 

"Your face is quite angular that contrasts well with your softer aged features. You are a man of service from how you still hold your head up high but.." Your eyes briefly flickered to my lips. 

"You have a smile that reminds me of the warmth from a fire. You cannot hide your feelings well though Zevlor," you grinned. He coughed at the remark. What do they know truly? His ears twitched to listen close.

"Your eyes are very expressive even when you stay stoic most of the time. They burn brightest when a temper rises, dimming at the slight moment you look into the distance and flicker at the slightest bit of discomfort. Do you know sometimes your eyes even change a hue?" For how long have they watched me to make these observations? His tail waved behind him.

"I supposed I am easily readable then. I haven't heard of a tiefling's eyes changing color. What color do they turn?" You looked up into my eyes. There is a blush that begins to settle onto your cheeks. "Nothing to concern yourself," you stammered. He quirked a brow. Your head went back to behind the canvas. "Just know they look beautiful when they do." He could almost make out your muffled words.

"Is there a reason you wanted to capture me shirtless for this piece in particular?" He couldn't help his curiosity. It hadn't been the first nor the last time he had been voyeured upon. Though, he couldn't bring himself to think of you being one of those many. No harm if you were. He just could have put on more bravado if that were the case. You pause your brush. "There must be some relic of your past hidden under your armor. There is a story worth telling of a life hard lived." You turned your finished creation before me. 

There I stood poised in my usual guard stance. My infernal heritage is on full display from my ridges to the leftover wounds of battles long since passed. My hair no longer the usual tied up manner now cascaded down my shoulders. I haven't ever seen that expression on my face before. Is this how I look to you? There is my gaze full of adoration shimmering of gold, brows knitted just so in youthful yearning, smiling as if under the charms of a final everlasting love.

"If you ever forget how to smile. This is a reminder." You held up the canvas as you came closer, handing me the self portrait.

"Thank you." I smiled that same familiar smile. My only hope is the rest of Faerun sees me through your eyes.

Our time together will be over shortly. "Let's meet again soon." Maybe if fate permits it, I will show you your beauty through my own canvas. But for now, does Lia have any extra art supplies? I will brush up my skills in the meantime till then.

"Take care on your journey, Tav." I waved them a goodbye. I will be waiting in Baldur’s Gate.

[nightghoul381]

Do as I Do ~ Alfons Sylvatica (POV) x Reader

Entry number 4 in @judejazza's An Invitation to Crown Castle event!

Pairing: Alfons Sylvatica (POV) x Reader Prompt: Matching Together Genre: Spicy edging on Smut so MDNI CW: semi-public touching WC: 1.5k

“Hey Al,”

Your voice draws my attention from my daydreaming as we lay together entwined on my bed.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know why… but I was thinking, since your curse is the mirror, don’t you think it might be fun to mirror what the other does for the day? Like, if I eat something, you eat it too. Or if you wear something, I would wear it too?”

I can’t hold back the bark of laughter at your oh-so-innocent musings. I’m unable to deny that the thought is interesting, however, my mind tends to dwell in the darkness and my own ideas are far less naïve and simple.

“I must say, you’ve come up with quite an interesting idea. I think it would be fascinating to see how closely we can stick to matching each other,” I sigh, letting a wicked smile grace my lips.

“What say we up the ante on this little game? The first to refuse to mirror the other has to allow the other to do with them as they wish for the evening. What do you say?” I murmur enticingly.

“You’re on!” You giggle, staring into my eyes. “One rule though, no using your ability on me got it? I won’t have you making me believe you’re doing everything I’m doing while I’m the only one who actually has to participate.”

The sternness in your gaze for such a simple game is almost comical. Your stubborn streak surely means that I won’t be able to convince you otherwise, not that I want to. I’m very curious to see what you could come up with to try and trip me up.

“Alright then, sweet girl. Show me what you’ve got,” I taunt.

“Ten minutes, meet me in the foyer!” You grin, slipping free from my arms and quickly redressing before heading out the door.

“My, my, someone’s got an idea already,”

**

I am quite surprised when I see you in the foyer just a few minutes later with an outfit strikingly similar to my own. I recognize my shirt and see that you’ve taken one of my spare coats, given how long it is on you. The skirt you’ve paired it with though, I must admit, is eye-catching and hugs your hips in just the right way.

“I see, the game has begun before I’d even been aware,” I chuckle, offering my arm.

“I matched you, so next you’ll have to match what I do.”

“Very well, what will it be?”

Hours slip by as we gradually increase the difficulty of our actions to be mirrored. A flower tucked into your hair is matched with one in my own, a strong drink of brandy by myself mirrored surprisingly easily by you. So on and so forth and here we are now, our bodies now matching in an entirely new way.

You tug me to sit beside you on a bench in the park.

“I’m really surprised you didn’t give in with this!” You giggle, resting your right side against my left. Of course, it would be your right because on your left ear is a fresh piercing, mirrored by one on my right.

“Oh, you don’t seem to understand, I’m going to have my way with you tonight, my dear. I only suggested such a prize as I knew it was mine,” I reply nonchalantly.

“Yeah right. What’s your next move then? I’ve matched you perfectly so far, you’ll have to do something truly outrageous for me to give up now!”

Oh, that foolish, wayward determination of yours… I want to corrupt you so, so very much.

“Ah, yes. The next task is actually quite simple,” I reply, shrugging out of my coat. I watch as you do the same, still looking so bold and sure of yourself.

When you notice my fingers coming up to flick each button of my shirt open, you start off with the first couple, but as your chest becomes exposed, I can’t help but relish the hesitation in your movements.

“Alfons, we’re in public. Surely you don’t mean to have me expose myself like this…” You hiss.

“That’s precisely what I mean to do,” I reply, freeing the last of my buttons and leaving the front of my shirt completely open.

I pause to watch, pleasantly surprised when you slowly unbutton the rest of your shirt. Unfortunately for you, I haven’t finished my turn.

With a dark smirk, I slowly pull my shirt free of my trousers, sliding it off my shoulders with a sly wink.

“Al! There are people here!” You squeak, staring at my body with thinly veiled appreciation.

“And?”

Your face is bright red as you glance around the park. Your hands slowly move toward the top of your shirt, only to clasp the two sides together. I notice the gaggle of older ladies squawking to each other and shooting us offended glares.

One of the bolder of the group makes her way over to us and, in a shrill voice, begins screaming at us.

“Never in all my days have I seen such a blatant display of vulgarity! And in such a public place! It’s offensive and I ought to contact the authorities and have you institutionalized! Right yourselves and leave at once!”

The old bat’s drawn the attention of other park goers and I can see your face drain of color as more and more eyes fall upon us.

“I believe we’ll have to call our little game here, my darling.” I state grandly, pulling my shirt back on before reaching to fasten the buttons on yours. You merely sit in stunned silence as the gathering crowd of people encroaches on us. A shame too, I was really hoping to enjoy the sun on your breasts for a moment.

You remain silent, staring at your feet and letting your hair fall like a curtain in front of your face. I’m surprised you’re so disturbed, I’d been able to affix your buttons prior to the majority of people had even had a moment to see your briefly exposed skin.

Hailing a carriage, I bundle you inside and as soon as we begin moving, I pin you to the seat below me.

“Now, now, little robin. You’re acting quite disturbed for someone who wasn’t exposed to prying eyes,” I purr, tracing my nose along your jawline. “Tell me why that is…?”

I hear a disgruntled huff and glance up to meet your gaze.

“I… I lost because of that stupid old lady,” you pout, eyes darting away, telling me there’s something else you’re not telling me.

“Oh, is that all? I already told you, my delicious little pet, I was always going to win. There’s no need to be so upset about it.”

You then mumble something I just barely can’t make out, prompting me to push you just a little further. My tongue traces the length of your neck, curving up toward your ear before I nip lightly.

“I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat?” I whisper, purposely letting my breath hit your ear in such a way to cause a shiver to run through your body.

“All those people saw you… I… I didn’t like that.”

I must say I’m taken aback by the sudden possessiveness. You’ve never much been one for keeping me to yourself, in fact we’ve both been quite open with sharing our intimate experiences with others, and yet, the sensation flowing through my veins at your admission is nearly intoxicating.

“Is that so?”

My voice is low and dark and I groan softly at the way your body shudders beneath me. I let one of my hands travel down your side, skimming past your hips and slowly pushing up the bottom of your skirt.

“Mmhmm,” you whimper, clinging to my shoulders, body tight with anticipation.

I let out a heavy breath against your neck as my gloved fingers find their way over your panties… or rather, lack-there-of. Heat flares in my veins as my fingertips draw such precious little whines from you as they dance across your sensitive flesh.

“You naughty little minx,” I growl, suckling at your throat as I continue to stroke your slit, feeling the vibrations of your whimpers against my lips and tongue.

“A-Alfons, please…” you breathe, hips squirming for more.

“Ah-ah. I already won I’m afraid. And as it is the evening, I believe my prize to do as I wish with you begins now. I do hope you’re prepared.”

I continue to toy with your sensitive spots until the carriage finally reaches Crown Castle, stopping only to bring you to my room where we shall remain for the rest of the night. How eagerly I look forward to hearing you scream my name well into the morning.

Taglist: @judejazza @natimiles @aquagirl1978 @themiscarnival

If you'd like to be added to my taglist, feel free to let me know

[made-by-marlow]

The Pomegranate Tree [sdv Elliott x male farmer oc] Part Five: The Poet

A slightly crumpled dandelion sat on Elliott's desk surrounded by hundreds of fully crumbled papers with the boy's messy handwriting.

Random pieces of Elliott's hair were twisted into braids to keep his hands busy as he thought. The space had grown to be an organized mess. Chaos, but he knew exactly where to locate everything. The only mess that mattered was the mess of papers in front of him. Trying to bring a fictional human being to life like a mad scientist. To create a fictional life.

He thought about a love interest for the protagonist he inserted himself into. He thought about a girl with long brunette hair, and hazel green eyes. Brown overalls like the new farmer wore on occasion. Now that he thought of it, the character simply seemed to be a feminine version of the new farmer.

The girl needs a name. Hazel. Hazel is a name for both genders, right? The name felt nice and poetic when he learned the name of the farmer. The kind of name that a love interest in a romance novel would have.

Why not allow the love interest to be a man?

What would the readers think?

What would Hazel think of having a character based off him in his story?

It's creepy. Yet it was the perfect set up for a story. Something straight from a Hallmark movie. A young college drop out from the city, moving away from hustle culture to take a step into the small town. There, he meets the charming young poet Elliott projected himself onto, and falls in love.

He scratched the idea, ripping the paper out of his typewriter and tossing it in with the collection of other scraps. Hazel stained his mind. His dorky nervous smile. Soft looking hair that touched his shoulders. He needed to talk to him more before he meets again with Leah day after tomorrow. Who knows if she talked to Abigail. 

Memories of Hazel made him smile. Few adults besides Abigail participate in the yearly egg hunt, yet there he was. Elliott was happy to stand back and watch as the farmer ran around the town, gathering eggs, racing the kids and Abby with a smile on his face. A child at heart.

In the end, Hazel was more deserving of that sunhat than Abigail was. What was she going to use it for, anyway. Year after year.

Hazel was a positive change to the town. A change that brightened his life. More than he wanted the stranger to.

You can't write Hazel into your book.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door of his cabin. A rare occurrence. In a swift motion, all of the crumbled papers were swiped onto the floor, only a few of them falling in the small metal basket beside the desk. As the door creaked open, Hazel stepped inside.

"Hazel!" He can't see the writing. Please. Please do not look at the writing.

"Hey," Hazel smiled. A charming, soft smile. Young and genuine. "I got your letter. That I can come in anytime."

"Yeah, of course," Elliott smiled. "I'm just.... Writing."

The mess was obvious. Elliott prayed to whatever is out there that Hazel doesn't believe this is how he always lives, even if it's true. Papers scattered, bed unmade. Maybe Hazel's cabin was the same mess.

"Writing?"

"Yeah, a novel." It finally felt like he was bragging rather than coming off as nerdy. "Well, I'm still in the brainstorming phase."

"Need a muse?" Hazel jokes. The joke made Elliott pause. Because really, he did. And he wanted Hazel. 

"Actually... yeah. I-" He tripped over his own words. "I'm trying to come up with everything from scratch." 

"Well everyone loves a good rom-com," Hazel says. Elliott imagines him reading some dorky rom-com alone in the living room. A peaceful moment as he smiles at words on paper. Funny how a good book can do that. Push you so deep into a new world that you forget all you're doing is looking at printed words on paper. 

"I was thinking that too." Elliott is embarrassed that Hazel has no place to sit besides the unmade bed. A collection of smaller red and gray blankets rather than one big comforter. Some host he is to leave this sort of mess for Hazel to come into. "Pardon the mess. I can clear the bed if you would like." 

"You should see the cabin," he jokes. Surprisingly relaxed, he takes a seat. His round face and brunette curls foreground wooden walls and red blankets. An image that Elliott would paint if he knew how. He tries not to think about it too much. "It turns out cats can make quite a mess if you don't give them every moment of your attention."

Elliott smiles at the thought of a cat running around that house. A small gray cat resting on Hazel's lap as he reads that rom-com. Adorable. A cute boy and a cute cat.

"A kitten?"   

"Her name is Doodlebug," Hazel says. "My grandfather's nickname for me growing up." Elliott considered Doodlebug a possible excuse to see the farmer's cabin sometime and meet this small creature. An excuse to see Hazel again. An excuse to indulge in the dopamine of petting a kitten. 

"Cute." He meant it. 

"So about this rom-com," Hazel changed the subject. "Do you have characters?" Elliott gets excited the moment someone expresses interest in his story. He wants to dump everything he has in his mind, but there's nothing. Nothing but the vague idea of a setting and protagonist. 

The two talk for hours until Elliott has pages full of romantic scenarios. Maybe one day, the ideas would become reality.

[bardic-tales]

9.01.24: WA: Issue 3

As summer is slowly drawing to a close and my daughter is going to be heading back to school, I sat down to work more on this unnamed WIP. My last update I mused on the fact that the summer was going to be busy. It was.

Since 2000, I have managed to avoid contracting COVID. This was on the advice of my doctor: get the vaccine and limit my contact with people since I was consider high risk. That's a club I didn't want to be apart of.

Well, starting the 13th, I started to feel ill. It was almost immediately after we saw Deadpool & Wolverine at the drive-in. Everyone my husband worked with was starting to test positive for COVID, including us. I'm fine now. Just a cough remains.

Author’s commentary

I have more of an idea where this short story is going to go. I still don't know what to title it. Since it's Bianca's first encounter with an actual demon, the title may have something to do with that. I guess I will decide on that when I get to it.

As I write this, I keep thinking back on an RP that I have participated in with my husband. It was set before Sephiroth went to Nibelheim. Having a character who can control time and space is an interesting concept, since it opens up infinite storylines with Bianca. In this RP, Sephiroth asks her, 'why she can't trust anyone?' Well, Bianca's answer is that she was always hunted by a cult, but her first crush betrayed her horribly.

And this is where the character of Krista was thought up. Krista was always meant to represent Bianca's loss of innocence. I always liked this concept in the 'It' novel, but I didn't like the way Stephen King went about actually executing it in the novel. Bianca's loss of innocence will happen due to her having to murder someone in self-defense.

Snippet:

As always, this is my trash draft. There will be grammar issues and sometimes incorrect grammar. It is unpolished.

“Help!” A piercing scream interrupted her thoughts.

Bianca’s hand hovered over the Charleston Chews that were David’s favorite before she wrenched her hand away and whorled around in the direction of the sound.

An acrid scent of brimstone saturated the store, as if the store had been caught in the middle of a volcanic eruption, but that was impossible in the middle of Alaska. The worst that could happen was that she became lost in Anchorage’s mudflats due to tidal changes and glacial silt.

For a moment, Bianca thought of just exiting the store. After all, she was only a teenager: a young adult almost in the prime of her life. What could she do to help someone? David would be a better candidate. In the end, her own determination won out. This woman needed help now. The other woman couldn’t wait for her to go get her father. She had to swallow her fear and press on. Who would have thought? A waif like her playing hero?

[weidaoduzun3]

What Does Benevolence and Righteousness Mean and How Should We Practice Them?

Musing on this particular section of the Zhuangzi [13.15-13.24.6] which is a dialogue between Lao Dan (Old Master Lao Tzu or Laozi) and Confucius.

Confucius is traveling westward to deposit his writings at the Zhou court, when one of his disciples, Zilu suggests he go visit "a certain Lao Dan..." to inquire about the "twelve classics" (I'll provide a link that lists all the "classics.") which seem to be a collection of Chinese poetry, philosophy, and mythological texts. As Confucius explains these twelve classics to Lao Dan, Lao Dan scoffs and requests to just hear the essentials, exclaiming this is too tedious [13.15-13.18]. To which Confucius responds in 13.19: "The essentials consist of benevolence and righteousness." To which both Confucius and Lao Dan agree that benevolence and righteousness are innate to one's own original nature [13.20-13.21].

Lao Dan then goes on to inquire about what 'benevolence' and 'righteousness' mean. Confucius could be correct in this explanation, but in so far as what benevolence and righteousness mean to Master Zhuang & Guo Xiang, that is another story. Confucius explains that, "One should take the happiness of others sincerely to heart and should love everyone impartially, this is what 'benevolence' and 'righteousness' really mean." [13.23]. Now, Lao Dan scoffs at this, and I did too when reading that. But this is a statement I would've agreed with not that long ago probably. To show love to all people is what I thought it meant to be good and benevolent.

Why Lao Dan (and Master Zhuang, the author) scoffs at such a remark is because he believes to keep in mind that one should "love everyone" with such conscious action is to actually act partially. It's an act that is partial to one's own self-interest, the most extreme form of self-interest: having that "impartial" love reciprocated. [13.24.2] "To be impartial in this way is actually a matter of self-interest." Guo Xiang's commentary on this one line reminds us that we must rid ourselves of any human notion of "impartiality." In the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi, we are told to discard our preconceived notions of "what is" and "what is not" in chapter 2.10.4 of "Regarding All Things Equal 齊物論."

The idea Lao Dan is trying to convey, I think, is that instead of keeping in your mind consciously that you need to love everyone upon meeting them, rather we should, "trust freely in your virtue to act, keep in step with the Dao as you throw yourself into things, and you shall already be there." [13.24.4] meaning trust your innate principle that lies within you, and act according to what is being presented to you. Now to "act in accord with one's innate principle" is something I assume is truly brought about by participating in authentic Daoist practice, which I currently am not doing (just working on establishing a good relationship with my ancestors at the moment and philosophizing). So when we rely on "loving everyone impartially," this is an error. If a situation calls for benevolence and righteousness, and if it is in your nature to express that, then yes that is what we should do. But what about those situations where benevolence and righteousness are not called for? What then?

Online and in real life we will be faced with racists, bigots, and the like, to actively go out of your way to "love" these people is selfish because in wanting to love these kinds of people, its an act of displaying one own "uprightness" or morality. In Chapter 7 of the Zhuangzi, Fit To Be Sovereigns 應帝王, we are told, [7.26.1] "Don't play a role of befitting reputation. And again earlier in Chapter 2 "Regarding All Things Equal 齊物論," [2.14.23] "When uprightness would display its cleanliness, it won’t inspire trust."

This is a flaw Master Zhuang is trying to point out in the Confucius schools, for he says [13.24.5] "Why so energetically keep on promoting benevolence and righteousness, as if beating a drum were the way to catch a runaway?" I take this to mean that to consciously keep such "benevolence" and "righteousness" at the center of one's mind: this only drives people away from true benevolence and righteousness which is innate to everyone, as they both agreed in sections 13.20-13.21. The active and self-conscious effort to keep these things in mind and to practice them is to cause great confusion to our original nature. Our original nature calls us to act benevolent and righteous only when it is appropriate, according to Master Zhuang. To act with benevolence and righteousness when it is solely appropriate is to forget all about one's own preconceived notions of what "benevolent" and "righteousness" is, and thus acting in step with Heaven, in step with the inarticulate Dao [13.24.6].

The link to the list of the "twelve classics"

[thesaffronmuse]

Namaste!

Allow me to introduce myself. I am The Saffron Muse. I am new to Tumblr and new to blogging so you must excuse me if there are any errors on my part.

A little bit about me...

I was born in the exquisite country of India but raised in the beautiful valleys of California. I have always found writing to be refreshing since I was a young girl and have been writing whenever I could about random thoughts in my journal. But I only recently I decided to combine my passion in Indian culture and religion with my writing.

I grew up in an orthodox Hindu family where we practiced many different traditions and rituals despite it being a little difficult living in the United States. Both of my parents worshipped God every day that my brother and I, eventually, learned and followed. They would tell us interesting and simple stories of the Ramayan and the Mahabharat instead of the common bedtime stories. These stories always kept me intrigued. As I grew older, I started to read books on the Gods/Goddesses, scriptures and other things that are important to practicing Hindus.

When my brother and I were in school, we would visit India for summer break as a family and travel within India to holy places like Tirupati, Shirdi, and Mathura. On the car drive to these cities, our grandparents would tell us about the stories behind the significance of the temples. Although standing in lines was exhausting and draining, in the end it was always worth it.

I still continue to learn as much as I can about Sanatana Dharma. I love to conduct my own research on certain rituals that our elders encourage us to participate in. Growing up, there were many incidents where my parents or grandparents had no idea when questioned about the significance of some rituals and customs. They just did what they were told to do. I did not want to be that way.

Currently, I live with my husband of two years. We both enjoy traveling, cooking and watching movies together. My husband observed that I am really passionate when it comes to learning about our culture (and other cultures too). He has been encouraging me to share my knowledge and interest with the world, but I had not felt good enough to do so. However, I told myself that it’s now or never. So, here I am!

~ The Saffron Muse

[darkestrellar]

Abigail, Jacob

"The Quarry"-inspired ask meme

ABIGAIL — is your muse artistic in any way ? do they consider themselves to be a shy and quiet individual ? 

🤔 I have thought about giving Svern some kind of hobby for art in terms of drawing, but I haven't committed to it yet... so it's undecided. As for other sorts of artistic affinities, he is a musician (violin). It's not his favourite thing, but he doesn't mind it. He also likes theatre. He prefers watching theatre performance to cinema, actually. He may not be an official performer, but he probably could be if he wanted, and if it worked better with his life. And he also likes fashion and playing around with and coordinating outfits!

Svern doesn't consider himself shy - he's reserved, but not shy. He does consider himself to be a naturally quiet person, but he will rarely describe himself as such, since it's at odds with his usual persona. He will never portray himself as quiet unless he's very comfortable with the company / situation, or there's some other reason for him to.

JACOB — is your muse into sports at all ? additionally, are they a hopeless romantic ? if so, would you consider it to be detrimental to them sometimes ? 

He's not typically invested in other people's competing, besides watching them for learning / inspiration purposes, but he has done gymnastics. Obviously, he particularly likes parkour. I think he knows more about some sports than he cares to, mostly because of having been around other people who were into them more than him. He's not really interested in competitive Pokémon battling, either. I haven't decided on this yet, but it's also possible there was at least one sport he was expected / suggested to participate in, that he didn't care for.

Svern... is definitely not a hopeless romantic. He's more like, whatever the opposite of a hopeless romantic is...

[imagineitdearies-old]

Alicent! You poor thing, you did not deserve what life gave u. Honestly so many thoughts are happening bc of Duty and Sacrafice but the two biggest would be Rhaenicent wedding night (fun fun miscommunication and differing expectations) and also the first time Alicent does something that makes Nyra “angry” and how Alicent try’s to placate her and the subsequent consequences of trauma for both scenes.

Oooooo now fun thoughts are happening on my end! A Rhaenicent wedding night in the D&S verse? Perhaps instead of the lucemond one that occurred....(slight NSFW warning from here on out, haha)

If Rhaenyra was as clueless about differing expectations as Luke was in chapter 4 of D&S, it probably would have gone similar on her end at first--checking in, trying to ensure Alicent's enjoyment and pleasure. But Alicent's reaction would be much worse than Aemond's. I'm sure you recall the horrifying scene with her and Viserys in HOTD episode 4? Yeah. She just starts dissociating the moment they're undressed and Rhaenyra puts hands on her, can barely find the presence to kiss her back.

When Rhaenyra checks in with her Alicent tries to smile and offer encouragement, says, No, no I like it, and yes, please keep going, it feels good. Alicent doesn't really know what to do with the stimulation to her clit, it's almost too sensitive. But as Rhaenyra starts sliding fingers inside her, tears begin streaming from the corners of Alicent's eyes.

Nyra just puts a stop to the whole thing at that point. She wraps Alicent in a blanket and says she'll call off the maester, that they'll deal with the ramifications of no mating bite in the morning. And Alicent is so ashamed, feels like she failed her and the whole kingdom, has ruined everything and will have weakened rather than strengthened Rhaenyra's claim to the throne/her reputation. She begs her to just keep going but Nyra hushes her, kisses her cheeks and her hair and holds her. Alicent falls asleep crying into her chest.

Sorry, probably more angsty than you had in mind 😂

IF this happened months/years after the events in D&S and a lot more communication between them (which is what I'm planning on), there'll be times Alicent feels herself dissociating and asks Rhaenyra to do something else or give her a minute, apologizing even after Nyra keeps telling her she has nothing to be sorry about. But in her head she'll still be wondering if the next request or denial will be the final straw and Nyra will ignore it. Or will just find her absolutely too much to handle, or too boring and inexperienced, and quickly lose interest in her after.

Even though Alicent didn't like Viserys at all, it still stung fiercely when he lost all feigned interest in her opinions or happiness just because sex didn't happen while she was later in pregnancy/in recovery from birth or once he got too ill. And that was with a person who didn't care if she was a limp doll most of the time. Rhaenyra will want her to participate, to like it, so there's even more chance of failure. Though by this point they'll have explored each other a little, enough for Alicent to be sure she does want more.

Alicent also has a lot of insecurities about being enough for Rhaenyra in the bedroom as a female omega (poor thing has never heard of a strap-on, but don't worry, she'll learn).

As for the first time Nyra gets angry with Alicent and how she tries to placate her, how scared she is...man, that'd be a terrible, fascinating scene to write. I might add it to my list for future D&S verse drabbles/one-shots 🤔 I might add all of these! Lol.

Thank you so much for this ask, it's so lovely to muse about angsty rhaenicent!!

[haresvoid]

7 + 17 for Ome, or whoever you're feeling! (also just as a sidenote i saw #20 and after reading your metas on the iron throne and how that affected them, that one hit different and i am hurt :) poor Ome )

❛[ INTIMATE AND SEXUAL HEADCANONS ≻ accepting

NOTES: 07. how do they view sexual intimacy and love?

The concepts are still very very strange to Omeluum. Sex and love are not something that mind flayers participate in- even friendships beyond what is useful aren't seen as normal within the society. However, intimacy is something it finds it enjoys. Closeness, sharing mind and thoughts with another. The body is just an extension of the mind too. Its concepts of love are similar- someone who is seen as an equal, not to command or who stays around you because they have to. Who wants to listen and learn and give all the same. This concept it finds itself enjoying. Generally, it would be the type that prefers the intimate parts of relationships over the carnal pleasures. Favoring time spent whatever the manner may be, and also benefiting from learning and gaining more knowledge throughout of course. Always a researcher.

NOTES: 17. how confident is your muse in expressing their desires?

It is not the type to become embarrassed, but it is also the type that is aware this is not an area it is especially knowledgeable about. It may speak its interest in proximity or trying something new, but only once another has made the first moves and has made it comfortable that it knows what a partner would want and would benefit from its own desires. Ome is a fairly open and direct being, sometimes to a fault- especially when it is certain of its expertise in a subject. I believe if it ever got to such a point with another it would be just as direct in these areas too, but it would take time.

NOTES: 20. has your muse ever indulged in the use of restraints; whether using them on someone or themselves? (i know you didnt technically ask for it but shh)

As you said, especially after the Iron Throne situation Ome would be especially unkeen on the idea of restraints- especially on self, but on others too. However even before that, it values freedom over nearly everything else. Mental and physical. It also has always had a slight fear regarding entrapment and lack of control. Even if it was to be requested by a partner and partner made it aware it was not a restraint on freedom, it is something that would take a lot of work for it to relent even to use it upon another. To have it used on self... there would have to be a lot of trust and time and patience.

[reflections-of-mobius]

Just me getting some more of my thoughts in a row for the events for Enlightened Darkness and Wielders of Chaos. If you're interested in muses from those universes, or interested in the events, then... I leave it up to you if you want to read the spoilers/my thoughts. Please do not go under the cut unless you're ready.

Also: I have the next three days off, I'm around to chat today, plan to work on drafts and the like tomorrow since I worked this morning and brain is 'blblblblbl-'

So, first off is Enlightened Darkness. I won't start on the event proper until I get a few things out of the way first. Murk and Tenebrosity have to meet, and a muse I'm considering adding- the leader of a cult dedicated to Mephiles the Dark- will begin to appear around that time. I don't plan to make them a complete muse on the blog, not until the event actually kicks off- which it will, with the new character warning Arwen, Ten, and Fin that Murk has been captured by S. W. O. R. D.

From there it's going to turn into a general hack-n-slash. I'll probably make Murk and Ten's events separate things in the timeline, so Murk's kidnapping will come first- and Ten's will be later down the line.

As for Wielders of Chaos- I wanted to start that universe off with the events of Sonic Unleashed, but I came up with another idea- which would lead into the events of Sonic Unleashed, though that game would probably be a multi-month 'general updates' thing in-blog.

This may cut off some people or prevent their muses from participating, but I plan to make it so that Dr. Eggman kidnaps all the known Wielders of Chaos- and locks them all in a virtual reality program while he prepares an armada with the Chaos Emeralds he's collected. If you can't guess, the 'virtual reality program' is going to be Sonic and The Black Knight. Of course, the Wielders of Chaos will gradually convene and, when they all meet up, escape.- Just in time for Dr. Eggman to split Mobius into multiple pieces.

Admittedly, I'm fond of the idea I have for Wielders of Chaos because I have wanted to incorporate the knight game into one of my worlds, but could never think of how.- Until it hit me at work the other day, that I could have my cake and eat it, too.

Of course, the knight even will also be multi-month, so Wielders of Chaos has...several multi-month things going on. And people who'd want their muses to participate in Wielders of Chaos' world would need to let me know before hand, so we could work out how their muses could fit into the chaos.

The main muses for Wielders of Chaos will be Cinn and a new muse, Rust.

Wielders of Chaos' Shadow. He's going to be shipped with Cinn- it's been a thought in my mind for a hot minute.

Of course, after the events of the knight game, pretty much all the wielders of the Emeralds are going to come away with certain properties and mannerisms given to them by the virtual world. I'll decide on those as I write out the events for Sandstorm and Enlightened Darkness.

Do keep in mind that Rust is currently not available for RP, nor does he have a doc. He's just an idea, right now.

Anyway. I've got a few drafts to work on...so of course I'm going to play MC...and hopefully work on the drafts tomorrow (I don't work the next three days, so y'all are stuck with my crazy a$$ for a hot minute).

Mostly just around to chat, today.

[ofthemoonmaiden]

OFTHEMOONMAIDEN : an independent, private, selective roleplay blog for the character DAME AYLIN from BALDUR’S GATE III. sung by BUFFY.

exploring themes of : A CAGED BIRD FINALLY FREE, A LOST LOVE GRIEVED AND RETURNED, OF JUSTICE FOUND IN ANGER.

* NOT SPOILER FREE!

TEMPORARY RULES FOUND BELOW:

DISCLAIMERS: i am not affiliated with any of the properties that i write from or reference. this account is purely for entertainment purposes. however, all my headcanons, edits, and personal musings are mine alone.

i. FOLLOWING / UNFOLLOWING: i am highly selective about who i follow, since i want to keep my dash small and with people i feel comfortable interacting with. if i follow you first, i want to write with you! if i don't follow you back, please don't take it personally. i just don't want to get overwhelmed. i will NOT be following people who condone the following things:

- any form of bigotry/hate ( homophobia, transphobia, racism, etc. )

- heavily negative ooc

- callouts / participating in callout culture

ii. CONTENT & TRIGGERS: i love to explore darker themes in my writing, but i don’t think i will be writing anything too triggering. i don't have any triggers other than negative ooc really. I TAG TRIGGERS AS TW [TRIGGER].

iii. ACTIVITY: i will be low activity on here. i have irl stuff and that takes priority over anything. i try to reply to any messages and threads i have, so just poke me if you want to discuss things!

iv. THREADS / ASKS: i make asks a separate post so that if you want to continue, you can! i generally try and continue asks if i send them in but there's never an obligation to respond to my response if you don't want to! i try to reply to threads in chronological order, oldest to newest, but sometimes i will have muse for some threads more than others. this does not reflect interest level with your character or our thread — sometimes my mood fluctuates and i can't control that! if you have any questions or want to poke me to work on your thread, let me know and i will do the best i can! but please do not constantly pressure me into things. i want this blog to feel like a hobby, not an obligation.

v. FORMATTING: i don't have a theme on my blog because i tend to keep things simple and like to focus more on writing than graphics. i tend to do triple spacing with bold and italics to emphasize points. however, if for whatever reason you need plain text, just let me know and i am happy to accomodate!

vi. SHIPPING & SMUT: aylin’s main and most obvious romance is isobel. i am not completely against shipping her with other muses, but, it would have to be with lots of plotting and discussing ooc. assume that, unless we’ve plotted something out, she’s either in a relationship with isobel or is still deeply in love with her if she isn’t around. also— aylin is a lesbian, so, don’t be weird. i am 21+ and therefore nsfw may appear on this blog. it will be tagged as nsft so i don’t get flagged! I DO NOT ROLEPLAY WITH ANY CHARACTER OR WRITER UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS OLD.

vii. MUSES AND MUN. the decisions, thoughts, ideologies, and actions of my character do not reflect the feelings of the writer at all times. they are two separate entities with different thoughts. if you have any questions, concerns, w/e about the character i write or how i write them please feel free to come to my dms to discuss!