#crystal frost edit

[terabyte-teddybear]

it’s monsoon season! (my favorite queen from each season i’ve watched 3/28: jinkx monsoon, season 5)

💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

you may have noticed already but i’m also doing these with my favorite outfit of theirs from that season :-)

[nightmarereverie]

“'Daphne' Nymph Lidded Powder Jar” by Lalique of France ☾⋆｡ 𖦹 °✩

[lumieron]

olwen ++ snow // stim credits

[lilfriezatyrant]

[safyresky]

Scrimbly Jacqueline 6/52 as per this poll's (current) results:

This dress gives MAJOR frolic vibes and DOES end with Jacqueline frolicking through the Western province's meadows and, y'know, maybe accidentally lightly frosting up the blooms which leads to. Well. This:

Scrimbly Aunt Spring!!! I'm very proud of her, lol. She's so ANGY I'm CACKLING, VERY proud of that expression >:)

EDIT: APPARENTLY I CLICKED POST BEFORE YEETING MYSELF INTO THE SHOWER INSTEAD OF SAVE DRAFT ?? WHOOPS. ETA LINKS AND THE FUCKING. PHOTO I SAID I ADDED THEN DIDN'T. GAH. PLZ REBLOG THIS VERSION 💀💀💀

The filter I chose for purposes of scanning and sharing does NOT do the colours justice, the greens ARE different shades and the yellow on her hands is more green too lmao. I am working with LIMITED COLOURS. I've had to bring pencil crayons into the mix 😂😂😂😂. That's why the scrimbly jacquie isn't bright/crisp!! camscan refused to pick up the pencil crayons :(

But I've learnt that the oven light is PRETTY ALRIGHT.

I had some other colour options for Jacqueline's dress:

I went with the usual blue, of course, but these guys were TEMPTING. Some ACTUALLY scrimbly Jacquies for y'all since uh, my scrimbles are more like proper doodles???? Not changing THAT tag tho lol.

SO YEAH. HAD A DREAM AGES AGO THAT INVOLVED JACQUELINE AND BLAISE VISITING A SCHOOL AND ENTERTAINING KIDS WITH CS STORIES?? My actual dream, to have CS be an actual book with so much RANGE actors go to schools dressed as the characters and bring joy to children (it's me I'm actors I WOULD get my own Jacqueline costume and spread the joy 💃🏻😎💕❄️)

Here's the uh, scanned and filtered version for purposes of colour lol. Which is apparently a thing I will be doing with the scrimbles now!!

Learning to use the markers has been FUN.

ANYWAY!! ENJOY MY TERRIBLE ATTEMPT AT THE DRESS!! 💕

[sapatenisdecristal]

[elleloquently]

hi lovely <3 could i request protective!ellie and reader (relationship) in a patrol but things go south and she almost gets bit by an infected and ellie is just "i can't believe i almost lost you" and literally never gets reader out of her sight after that. thank u so much! :D

a/n : i literally love this sm thank you for requesting bc after reading this prompt i could not get it out of my head!! that being said though i'm sorry this took a bit ): the format for this is kinda weird i think maybe idk yeesh but i had too many ideas so anyway yes so cute love her c/w : weapons (guns mentioned,) violence against infected, protective!ellie my beloved (not quite edited </3)

fears all the way down - ellie williams

spring hesitated to make its welcome, the morning rays shyly peeking out from behind gray skies and dark clouds. every morning upon waking you would yearn for a sunny day, and finally the sun decided to grace the sky. it was the kind of brightness that would cause you to squint upon stepping outside, desperate to shed a few layers despite the air still being chilled, anything to feel the sun on your skin.

morning frost turned to morning dew, the slight crunch of a boot or a hoof that once crushed the delicate crystals into the grass was replaced with a slippery wetness and mud, new prints left to track.

you relished in it now, closing your eyes only briefly to imagine a world without infected, free to walk or ride without pausing at any given sound or movement. your horse followed faithfully behind shimmer, ellie's horse, as she led the way. she was always like this, leading and guiding and taking charge. it was infuriating and endearing, you would roll your eyes but only if your lips wore a smile as well.

you didn't patrol often, but when you did, ellie always found herself as your partner. incessant and persistent, you weren't aware of just how much trouble she had caused behind the scenes. rearranging shifts and lecturing just about anyone who would listen to her thinly veiled threats, the patrolmen of Jackson would rather give in with a sigh than have ellie williams worked into a fuss over who was partnered with her girlfriend.

even jesse, a dear friend to you both, knew exactly who was knocking at his door even before the sun came up on a day where you were supposed to ride out on patrol together.

it wasn't that ellie didn't trust them, or have good faith in them, because she did. and it wasn't that she didn't trust you, or think you to be capable, because she did. nevertheless, ellie displays her affections by protecting the ones she loves. you happened to be a lucky one, much to your frustration and adoration. you relished in her care but you also worried about her well-being, an endless cycle of stubborn lovers where you both seemed to keep simultaneously winning and losing.

"all good back there?" ellie noticed your silence, glancing over her shoulder with a curious smile.

you hummed in response, nodding to affirm your answer to her question. it had been a quiet patrol so far, but neither yourself nor ellie were one to let your guard down.

continuing down a well-worn path, you had spotted something in the distance that was once a house, part of it nearly collapsing within itself. it grabbed your attention anyway so you tugged on the reigns, signaling for ellie who seemed to have spotted it as well.

"think it's worth a try?" you posed, and ellie mentally debated your question.

"i think it's been a bit since anyone's gone down there..." ellie eyed the path, coming to a decision with a sigh. "might as well," she shrugged, directing shimmer towards the house.

your horses fell in step with one another as you approached your destination, weary of the trees that nearly covered the house. shimmer stopped first and ellie quickly jumped down from her faithful companion, coming to your side.

ellie shielded her eyes from the sun, offering up her free hand. you took it, gratefully, and landed feet on the ground next to her. you took a quick inventory as ellie pulled out a gun, cautiously scanning the surrounding area.

"be right back, tulip," you murmured to your horse, armed with your own weapon as you carefully approached the house.

less snow made it easier for delicate footsteps, but any infected were sure to be better blended with the greenery that were soon to be blooming again. no matter how often you were outside, or dealt with infected, you couldn't stop your heart from pounding with the threat of danger looming over your head at any given moment.

the door to the house was ajar, raising your own levels of suspicion. you glanced at ellie, who's eyebrows were drawn to a crease. you were practically holding your breath upon entering, only to let out a breath of relieve when yourself and ellie came to the conclusion that it was clear.

"i'll watch the front, do you wanna check the back?" you offered to ellie, relaxing your grip on your weapon.

"be careful," ellie responded with a nod, giving you a quick, cautious smile.

you glanced around the room, trying to see if anything was worth picking over when ellie's voice broke the brief silence.

"i mean it!" she called pressingly, though the desperation in her voice was just enough to make you laugh.

a quick glance out of the window at shimmer and tulip left you satisfied, so you pulled your attention to the wreckage that covered the room's floor. there wasn't much, not really, but some of your best finds thus far had been from searching through areas like this one.

you kicked at an old chest with your boot, watching dust particles fill the air. not expecting much, you lift open a fragile compartment and grin at the unexpected sight.

"ellie," you call, using a lighthearted tone so that she doesn't mistake it for trouble.

she appears quickly anyway, amused with the proud look that's painted itself on your face.

"more ammo," you clarify, presenting her with a little box. it wasn't much, but it was certainly more than either of you were expecting, considering the looks of the place.

"that's my girl," laughed ellie, reaching out to bump your arm to which you rolled your eyes affectionately. you could show her a rock and she would probably still respond with, 'nice!'

you poked around in silence for a bit, occasionally hearing drawers opening or a mumbled swear coming from ellie's direction. it was almost nice, and you admired the way that the sunlight was warming you from the windows when a sound broke through the atmosphere.

freezing immediately, you drew your gun and waited. you prayed that you were only paranoid, but the noise sounded again and this time it was closer, there was no mistaking it.

you were lurking near the doorway, close enough to keep a watchful eye on the horses when another croaking sound made your blood run cold. the floorboards underneath your boots creaked with every step so you stayed put, eyes frantically darting around the trees as far as you could see.

gun pointed through the door, you held your breath and waited. anything that knew you were around would be hot on your trail by now, and quickly.

you waited and waited, and all you heard was silence and the occasional snort from a horse. despite the nothingness that greeted you, you felt a growing pit in your stomach and a strong desire to go back to the main pathing where you had been previously riding.

you slowly crept through the doorway, carefully closing it only halfway while you checked everything within your eyesight once more before calling to your girlfriend. you frowned, glancing over tulip. shrugging off your extra jacket, you slung it over her saddle when you suddenly heard a branch snap.

at the sounded tell, it was already too late. a stalker came barreling out from behind a line of trees, hyper focused and thrashing as it hurdled toward you. with no time to think and hardly any time to move, you wielded your gun but the creature was faster than you, stronger than you.

your body slammed against the door, knocking it open and you nearly fell backwards which allowed you to slip through the infected's grasp as it thrashed for you. immediately footsteps pounded through the house and gunshots rang in your ears, the stalker lying at your feet.

dazed and trembling as if you were frostbitten, you stared down at the infected unmoving as ellie quickly pulled you into her arms.

"hey, hey," she reassured you, checking over your body quickly just in case for any marks, but you had been saved.

"ellie," your voice wobbled, but you quickly blinked back any tears. you wanted to just dust yourself off and move on, strong and brave like you always promised ellie you would be. she worried so much, and you didn't want to actually give her a reason to worry but despite your efforts, you found yourself falling apart in her arms.

ellie held onto you, tightening her grip with every shaky breath that escaped your mouth. "it's alright, i've got you. i've always got you," she mumbled, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

you stayed like that only for a moment, too anxious to make another mistake. you quickly gathered your bearings and decided to call it on patrol, ellie gripping your hand as you left the house together. she helped as you hoisted yourself up onto tulip, only letting go of your hand and returning to her own horse when you were firmly grabbing the reins.

ellie was in autopilot, checking in with you and mumbling directions as you rode quickly and carefully to Jackson. the obnoxious sunshine only made your tears look more obvious on your cheeks and you roughly wiped them away with your sleeve, not wanting to appear as pathetic as you felt.

ellie grew increasingly more quiet, only quickly squeezing your hand once you made it back to safety. without a word she moved to stable shimmer, and a horrible feeling washed over you. she was acting as if she were mad, and you couldn't blame her. you remained at tulip's side, stroking your horse as you watched your girlfriend wordlessly move around the stable.

"i'm so sorry," you whispered, and ellie froze once you broke the silence. her back was to you, and you almost expected her to simply ignore you, or to start into a lecture, even though ellie would swear she wasn't always like joel, all you heard were reflections of his words in her careful pleas.

"i don't know what happened, it was so dumb and it happened so fast, ellie, so fast and i had my gun out but-"

ellie slowly turned to face you, and the look of guilt was evidently written all over her face. you abruptly cut yourself off, feeling even more awful than before.

she tried not to often reflect the losses that she had experienced, but even as strong as ellie was, it wasn't something that could be buried. even when the wildflowers start to bloom again and the skies turn blue, the threat of potentially losing someone that you love was hidden in every corner, ready to jump out and completely envelop you at any given moment, any small slip or mistake. it was nearly maddening, not knowing if that could be the last time you ever hear someone's voice. her losses were her failures, and she refused to let you be one of them.

shame and worry took over you, your eyebrows drawing together as ellie stared at you, shaking her head before starting towards you. ellie quickly pulled you into her arms once more, furiously blinking away her own tears. "i can't believe i almost lost you," she whispered into your hair, to which you quickly drew back.

"hey," you started, relieved that she wasn't upset but devastated by her confession. "i'm okay ellie, i'm not going anywhere, i promise," you reassured her.

"i know," ellie pressed. "that will never happen again," she spoke, half telling you and half telling herself. "i promise, nothing will ever happen to you."

you yearned to make ellie the same promise over and over, but you knew it wasn't the time. you allowed her to dote over you for the rest of the evening, her hand never leaving yours, not even while you had dinner. with every quiet check-in of a whispered, "are you okay?" you would nod and squeeze her hand, allowing her to look after you because you knew it was what she needed, to feel competent and to prove to herself that she was capable of protecting the one that she loves.

[tobylix-blog]

Digital nomads - Legolas x Reader

Content & Warnings: Modern AU, drabble Word count: 0.8k Summary: You and Legolas travel the world together staying in different countries for a few weeks or months before moving on, posting traveling content and some awesome archery trick shots.

A/n: definetely brought to you with the help of 'Migration Feathers' by General Elektriks

Your blog reaches 100k subscribers when you upload the final part of the series about your trip to Cambodia – the first one out of Europe that you take with Legolas. He is so emotional about the milestone, that even your joy seems to be but a faint reflection. His genuine delight brings back the memories of your first journey together. He was smiling just as brightly when you brought him to the best places you knew in the Netherlands and filmed his honest reaction to seeing deers in De Hoge Veluwe.

______________________________________________________________

As the hiking trail takes you two to Himakånå, the view from the cliff just isn't as breathtaking as the man before you. Standing high above the lake with wind catching in his hair he seems to be some ethereal spirit of the place. Eyes as blue as the water below. Faint shade of pink dusting his face after a long climb uphill. Life paints him so vividly, that you only take a few pictures, mostly staring shamelessly.

The following week you come back with a costume and a bow, accompanied by a mutual friend, Gimli. Despite the initial grumpiness and some rough jokes he takes great interest in showing you around the best sceneries in Tysvær and cheers for the best shots like a whole supporting team.

In the completed outfit Legolas seems like an elven prince rather than a son of some big shot in law. There's a translucent fog catching on the grass under his feet, making him appear all the more mystical and dreamlike. He doesn't say it out loud, but you notice from the look in his eyes that he feels relieved not being bound to the past in one more way. As much of an escapism as it is, you respect that.

Videos and photos from the hike take up a solid half of your SD card memory and two good days of editing before they hit your blog. Once they do though – the chaos ensues. Numbers on posts double within a day, while the portraits of your boyfriend begin their grand parade around the internet. You almost feel jealous. Legolas smirks proudly, but blushes so deeply, that you can't help a smirk as well.

______________________________________________________________

When Legolas walks onto the meter-thick ice of the lake, you finally know what to compare his eye color with. Between the bottomless sky and frozen water, seemingly the only person for miles around, except for you and the guide, he looks like a deity walking through the clouds of crispy snow. He turns back at you with those magnificent azure orbs framed with frosted lashes, and a blissful wave of warmth washes over you instantly in spite of the biting cold air. Legolas has that incredible ability to share his amazement, which attracted you to him in the first place.

He strides over the smooth icy surface confidently, like he was born in one of the villages on the eastern shore, crosses the major crack in one long jump over the exposed waters of Baikal and looks up to the crystal sky, all but dedicating poems to it. The bow in his hand only adding to the romantic image. The local guide, walking beside you, watches him with a smirk and says. «If Abai Geser had come from the West, that would be him.»

______________________________________________________________

When you get from one neat bar to another, tasting cocktails – sweet, bitter and even spicy on your tongues – and mixing the flavors even more through dozens of kisses, getting rowdy on the way until dropping at some karaoke, your blog hits half a million. Legolas starts a live stream right there in the cramped little room somewhere in Seoul mere minutes before sunrise.

He talks enthusiastically to the gathering viewers, while you half-hidden behind his back get the first row seat to the show. He is flushed from the alcohol and so carefree, easily falling into the quick speech pace chattering about your Asian trip and further plans. Such a striking contrast to the uptight college boy he was when you first crossed paths.

The thought of the past two years brings a smile to your lips, curling the edges slightly. Legolas somehow takes notice even through the small image on the phone screen and turns to you, only to be greeted with a passionate kiss and fingers readily finding their way to his ruffled hair. «I love you. More than anything or anyone. You're my home and my freedom,» you whisper heatedly to his ear.

Your eyes dart to the still working front camera of his phone, narrowing slightly before you turn the thing off completely. To hell that live stream, the viewers and whoever else. Let them think and overthink your actions as long as they wish. You two are now together and that means you are free from any boundaries and expectations.

[eddiesgorlie]

Her protector (Austin edition)

Austin Butler x Reader (Elvis version is coming soon!)

Summary: Austin, Y/n’s best friend comes to her rescue on her birthday when her abusive boyfriend gets angry.

Warnings: Abusive partner, broken glass, domestic violence, blood, smut, oral F receiving, after care.

Jamie, my boyfriend, I loved him but he had a temper, but doesn’t everyone? Austin, my childhood best friend hated him for that. Yes, Jamie hit me more than once but I said the wrong thing and it set him off, I shouldn’t have pushed his buttons. Today was my 30th birthday and Austin was coming over to celebrate, my two favorite men in the same room, two arch enemies in the same room. It was Sunday so I knew not to even make a peep to Jamie until half time of his favorite football teams games. I stood in the kitchen making my birthday cake, red velvet with pink cream cheese icing. It was 12:30 and Austin was arriving at 1:30. Finally at 1:00 I had the cake baked and almost cooled so I decided to get dressed, I wore a black sweetheart neckline above the knee dress with flutter sleeves. I put my apron on to protect my dress as I frosted the cake, just as I was carrying the glass bowl of frosting, my cat was behind me and I tripped over her, the glass bowl shattering, small pieces of glass were in my hands, mittens the cat, of course unscathed.

“Babe? Can you help me? I’m sorry to bother you!” I yelled. I heard heavy footsteps coming towards me, angry. Fuck fuck fuck. “What did I tell you about bothering me during my games? Get your ass up.” He spat. I tried to stand up without feeling the glass imbedding in my hands, failing miserably I whined. “Oh shut up.” He said. The moment I stood up he pushed me against the wall. “Are we clear?” He said through gritted teeth. “Crystal.” I spat. “Watch your tone!” He said as he punched me across the face. Just then, the front door opened and Austin watched as fell to the ground, landing on broken glass. I was dizzy and vision blurry, all I could hear was yelling and the sound of skin hitting skin until a loud thump hit the ground. “Come ‘ere.” He said picking me up bridal style. I screamed and kicked until I open my eyes to see Austin holding me. “Its just me, your ok.” He said with sad eyes. “Don’t look back.” He said. I nodded and leaned my head against his chest. He walked out to his car and laid me in the backseat, sitting next to me as he looked me over for injuries. I shook, skin pale as I was in shock, he’d never hit me like that.

“Look at me Y/n.” Austin said. I met his blue eyes, mine filling with tears. “Your ok now, your ok. Are you hurt at all?” He asked. I showed him my hands that were now bleeding a lot worse. “Let’s get you to my house, I’ll take care of you there.” He said, kissed my forehead and got in the drivers seat. I whined as the shock wore off. “A-austin.” I said. “What’s going on? Do you need help? Here I’ll pull over.” He said. “No!” I yelled. “Hey, what’s going on, talk to me.” He said. “Are we almost to your house? M-my hands hurt.” I said. “We’ll be there in a couple of minutes and I’ll get that all taken care of.” He said.

The rest of the drive was silent which was very strange for Austin, he always had the oldies station on the radio. It made me upset since I knew I was the reason it was silent, we should be at the house right now, Austin, Jamie and I should be enjoying cake but instead I had to mess it up. “We’re here.” He said, putting the car into park. He opened the car door for me and helped me out. “Go lay on the bed, I’ll grab the first aid kit.” He said, nodding towards his room. “Okay.” I said as I walked to his room. I made myself comfortable on his bed as I inspected my hands, they hurt, almost as much as my face hurt. He walked in to the room with a washcloth and first aid kit, I opened my mouth to talk but quickly tasted iron on my tongue. “Austin.” I said. “Yeah?” He asked, setting his “doctors station” up. “Is my nose broken?” I sighed. “Let me look.” He said. His gentle hands carefully touched my nose as he inspected it. “It doesn’t look broken, I think it’s just bleeding.” He said. “Yeah, no shit Sherlock.” I said, tears welling up in my eyes. Humor is in fact my coping mechanism. “Hey, don’t cry.” He said. “Do you have any tampons?” I asked, slightly laughing through my tears. “No, I don’t.” He said, grabbing tissues from his bedside table.

“Doesn’t your girlfriend have any?” I asked. “Nope.” He said. “Oh, she’s one of those girls that likes to play it risky.” I said. “Y/n, we broke up 3 months ago.” He spat. “I-I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “We haven’t talked in 4.” He said. “4? That can’t be right.” I said. “It is, want me to pull up the texts? Lot’s of one sided conversations.” He said. “I’m sorry, he- he just didn’t want me talking to a lot of people. I’m sorry about your girl.” I said. “Yeah, I know. It’s fine, we never really romantically connected in my opinion.” He said. I held the tissue to my nose as I thought back on our history together. Of course, when you’re best friends at such a young age and you grow into teenagers and hormones kick in you get curious, he was the first boy that ever touched me and my first kiss. It was so special but of course, I played it off after with an “Ew” like he did, I always have wondered if he meant that “Ew”.

I watched as he grabbed tweezers and started moving towards my hand to take out the glass. “Are those eyebrow tweezers?” I asked. “Yes they are, they’re all I have. I can use my big fingers instead.” He said with a laugh. “I think your fingers are quite nice, actually.” I said, not thinking about what I’d just said. His cheeks tinted pink but he brushed it off. “Are you going to go back to him?” He asked. “Um, I might. I love him, he just has his moments, like all of us.” I shrugged. “Oh, all of us hit their girlfriends over a football game, even when they’re hurt?” He asked. “I don’t mean it like that, he just handles his anger differently.” I said. “Oh ok, so when he punches you thats just him expressing himself?” He asked. “Drop it.” I said. “Fine.” He spat and continued his torturous work on my hands.

“Fuck!” I yelled as he worked a large piece out of my skin. “I’m sorry, it’s almost out.” He said. “Oh that’s all you’re sorry about?” I said. “I’m sorry for commenting on your relationship.” He sighed. “I’m 30 now, you have to let me make my own choices.” I said meeting his sad eyes. “I just don’t want you getting hurt again.” He said. “I’ll think about it. What do I do though? He supports me.” I said. “You can stay here.” Austin said as he carefully wrapped my hands in thin layers of gauze. “No way, with all the girls you bring in here I don’t want to hear… y’all.” I said. “If you’re here, I wouldn’t want to bring any girls home.” He said, his eyes meeting mine. There was something different in his eyes, a questioning look. “I don’t want you to have to quit your bachelor life because of me.” I said. “It would be the best thing I’ve ever quit.” He said, his face inching closer to mine. I felt his breath fan over my lips before I leaned forward and crashed my lips onto his. His hands buried into my hair, pulling me impossibly closer. I moaned as his tongue made it’s entrance into my mouth, massaging against my own tongue.

He pulled away from me to catch our breaths but never disconnected our bodies. He pulled me into his lap and started his assault on the sensitive skin of my neck. “Aus..” I moaned as he nipped at my skin. “God, I love you.” He said meeting my eyes, his full of love and lust. “I love you.” I said, grinding my hips down onto his looking for some type of friction. His hips bucked up against mine. I reached down towards the hem of my dress and looked at Austin for help. “Help me? My hands.” I said. His hand reached behind me and slowly dragged the zipper of my dress down, my nerves on fire with every touch. He pulled the dress over my head and my arms rested at my sides. “These were meant for him to see, weren’t they?” Austin asked, playing with the little bow on the front of my pink bra. “Yes..” I mumbled. “And this pretty wet pussy?” He asked, his fingers rubbing over my slit through the fabric of my panties. “Yes.” I said. “Did he ever eat this pretty pussy?” He asked as he hooked his fingers into my panties and slowly dragged them down my legs, a big wet spot left on them. “Yes.” I said. “Did he make you cum?” He asked, his lips placing kisses on my inner thighs. “No.” I said. “Well that explains why you’re so wet for me, you’ve had to take care of yourself for so long.” He said.

“Yes…” I moaned as he licked a stripe up my dripping pussy, my injured hands carefully burying themselves in his hair. “Oh my God!” I yelled as he took my clit into his mouth, sucking and slightly nipping at it. “Good girl.” He said against my pussy, the vibration making my legs shake. “You’re close, aren’t you?” He asked. “Very.” I said, just as his fingers dipped inside of me, curling against my G-spot. I felt a strong heat building before it snapped, a gush of liquid coming out of my pussy. “Oh my God!” I yelled as I humped his face. Austin, my best friend Austin, made me squirt. My legs shook and my vision white as I rode out the orgasm, Austin not quitting his assault on my pussy. “What a good girl. You got your cum all over me.” He said, rising from the floor as he pulled his soaked shirt off, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He hovered over me and lightly stroked my cheek where a bruise was forming. “Are you feeling ok?” He asked. “I’ve never felt anything like that before, it was amazing.” I said with a small laugh. “I love you.” He said, his lips connecting with mine. My hand carefully reached down to his pants and squeezed his hard cock.

He pulled away from the kiss with a groan. “You need a little help there?” I asked, smiling. “Only if you want to continue.” He said. “Yes.” I said. He stood up from the bed and unbuckled his belt and pulled his black jeans from his body, his boxers following, revealing his large cock. He climbed back on top of me and unclipped my bra before lining up with my entrance. He stroked himself a few times and pushed in, stretching out my walls. He held my hip with one hand and took my breasts in the other, rolling my nipples between his fingers. “You feel amazing, better than I imagined.” He said, his lips placing kisses on my breasts as he thrusted into me. “You’ve imagined this before?” I asked breathlessly, overwhelmed with pleasure. “Since I was 15.” He said against my skin. “So you didn’t mean ew? That has been my daily question for the past 16 years. I said with a small laugh. “Of course not. So that means you’ve imagined this before?” He asked. “Only thing that could get me off.” I said with a moan as he rubbed circles over my clit. “Just like that.” I said.

He continued thrusting hard into me, his balls slapping against my skin. The warmth started building up again and I knew I was close. “I’m going to cum.” I said into his neck as I pulled him closer to me. “Me too, baby.” He said. Him calling me “Baby” threw me over the edge and I clenched around his cock. He thrusted into me as I rode out my orgasm. He quickly pulled out and stroked himself, cumming onto my stomach as I clenched around nothing. He collapsed onto me, his head burying into my neck. “I love you.” He said as we caught our breathes. “I love you so much, Aus.” I said.

He grabbed tissues from his nightstand and cleaned himself and I up before crawling into bed next to me, pulling the blankets over us and holding me close to his chest. “I’m not going back.” I said as I placed kisses on his chest. “Thank you.” He said, kissing my head.

[fivetrench]

Edit: This is outdated!!

Spent way too long on this and it’s super messy eughh

Anyways this is Stonefly, don’t have a concrete story for him yet but I know he lives on the salt flats of the sand kingdom and traverses the desert to mine and sell crystals for a living. He doesn’t have frost breath or thrive in the cold like pureblood IceWings, which is why he’s able to live in a climate as arid as the sand kingdom ^_^

(The goggles and bandana are to protect his face from sand while mining/if he gets caught in a sandstorm)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Good morning and happy Wednesday, my bookish bats! You didn't think that tiny "queer books coming out this fall" guide was ALL there was, did you? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR this month. Happy reading!

❤️ A Vision of Air by Nicole Silver 🧡 Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper 💛 How to Get Over the End of the World by Hal Schrieve 💚 Kween by Vichet Chum 💙 The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson 💜 The B-Side of Daniel Garneau by David Kingston Yeh ❤️ Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie 🧡 Let the Waters Roars by Geonn Cannon 💛 Into the Glittering Dark by Kelley York 💙 When the Rain Begins to Burn by A.L. Davidson 💜 Been Outside by Amber Wendler & Shaz Zamore 🌈 The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

❤️ A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert 🧡 The Spells We Cast by Jason June 💛 Pluralities by Avi Silver 💚 Salt the Water by Candice Iloh 💙 Beholder by Ryan La Sala 💜 This Pact is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi ❤️ Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell 🧡 Menewood by Nicola Griffith 💛 Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout 💚 The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey 💙 Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson 💜 Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil and George Williams

🌈 In the Form of a Question: the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider ❤️ Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield 🧡 A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand 💛 Being Ace by Madeline Dyer 💚 Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer 💙 The Glass Scientists by S.H. Cotugno 💜 The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado ❤️ By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter 🧡 Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall 💛 Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender 💚 Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsen 💙 The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen

🌈 Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt ❤️ Family Meal by Bryan Washington 🧡 A Murder of Crows by Dharma Kelleher 💛 A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper 💚 Love at 350° by Lisa Peers 💙 Greasepaint by Hannah Levene 💜 The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels ❤️ Mate of Her Own by Elena Abbott 🧡 Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell 💛 Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn 💚 All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters 💙 If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

❤️ Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen 🧡 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall 💛 It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer 💚 Let the Dead Bury the Dead by Allison Epstein 💙 These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs 💜 The Goth House Experiment by SJ Sindu ❤️ Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 🧡 Mudflowers by Aley Waterman 💛 Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson 💚 Fire From the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot, trans. by Eva Apelqvist 💙 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake 💜 On the Same Page by Haley Cass

❤️ A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña 🧡 Art of the Chase by Jennifer Giacalone 💛 The Haunting of Adrian Yates by Markus Harwood-Jones 💚 The Sword: Xcian by Elle Arroyo 💙 The Complete Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair 💜 300,000 Kisses by Sean Hewitt and Luke Edward Hall ❤️ Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow 🧡 Blackouts by Justin Torres 💛 Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros 💚 Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies by E.M. Roy 💙 Everything Under the Moon: Fairy Tales in a Queerer Light edited by Michael Earp ❤️ Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine

🧡 We Met in a Bar by Claire Forsythe 💛 Sweat Equity Aurora Rey 💚 Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard 💙 The Misfit Mage & His Dashing Devil by M.N. Bennet 💜 Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton ❤️ Enough by Kimia Eslah 🧡 A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard 💛 Twelve Bones by Rosie Talbot 💚 Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses by Maya Prasad 💙 Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey 💜 Fox Snare by Yoon Ha Lee ❤️ Murder and Manon by Mia P. Manansala

[all-hallows-street]

Goddamit crunchyroll! Look at how the massacred my boy's name! Couldn't the poor translators even get notes on the characters names from the series own website? First of all, I don't understand why the international version changed his name to Ivan. Well, that is a lie. I do know a reason. In Chinese and Japanese both names sound the same, thus, are spelled the same. But that is straight up ignoring that the author gave us the latinized spelling of his name since his first appearance as Evan; and that it continues to be used for all of his merch material. So, did no one bother to check? I swear if I see fans call him Iwan unironically I'll lose it.

This also happened to Luis: his name is now spelled Lewis for the international version of the donghua. It bothers me less so as both Lewis and Luis have the same pronunciation in English, unlike Evan/Ivan; tho I definitely lean more towards Luis (¡carajo!).

Edit: since we are on the topic of character names. The newest volume bios confirm Crystal brother's name is Frost. I'm guessing he is named after the poet Robert Frost, as he writes poetry in a comic too.

I already own the 3 new volumes... They are still waiting to be shipped in china. I'll update with the new bios as soon as I have them. Can't wait to have official information on characters like Will and Sasha!

[safyresky]

Smile Shots: Clawfoot Tub

Was thinking of what Diteline Valentine's Day probably looks like, given it is Dite's BUSIEST day of work and often one of the COLDEST days of the year. This was what I thought up! I was a little torn on how it would end up, but I knew for sure they would be chillin in a hot bath together after their long ass day lmao. Please enjoy what I was originally calling A Very Diteline Valentine's Day aka, "Two girls, chillin' in a hot bath, thigh to thigh because they're SO gay". For each other, lmao.

UM ALSO Killian belongs to @lmelodie. I very much enjoy stealing him for a quick mention in situations >:). This is some time in the future (hence diteline marriage! in theory, Dite should be going by Donnie rn but in practise, I entered a fugue state when writing this and went with the present naming conventions), but to clarify: I imagine that blackice plans involve another attempt at reconciliation that devolves into a fistfight 😂😂😂. my GOD their dynamic is EVERYTHING to me 😍😍😍

ANYWAY, formalities out of the way, enjoy! And ah, Happy BELATED Valentine's Day, in all the ways love exists! :)

(would've had this out sooner but I got very distracted by my own romantic shenanigans which involved a lot of Puss in Boots. The last Wish SLAPPED and the first movie was ALSO very good! :D)

---

"This is either a Valentine's Day surprise, OR you have had a very long day."

"Would you believe that it was both?"

Dite giggled, gently shutting the washroom door behind her. She looked down at her wife, up to her shoulders in bubbles, cucumbers on her eyes, fruity face mask all over her face, and kissed the top of her half-thawed head.

"I think I would, yes. But definitely mostly the latter," Dite said, unravelling her chiton. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I drew the SHORT STRAW, DITE," Jacqueline said, her tone of voice reminding Dite of the pouting emoji as she pulled off the cucumbers, throwing her hands in the air and her head back. The wet brown tendrils of hair stuck to her shoulders; above it, the still frozen white strands bounced a little bit, the steam slowly dissipating the snow. "The SHORT STRAW!"

"Oh no," Dite said, folding her chiton and placing it on the weird ledge behind the toilet, her heart shaped fibulae gently placed on top.

"Oh YES! Can you believe it, babe? Even JACK had plans!"

"Oh, cute!" Dite said, tossing undergarments into the laundry. "What are the two of them up to today?"

"I don't know, probably fist fighting in an alley way? I don't get those two."

"Well, love is love," Dite said, gently testing the water with a finger. "And your brother and Killian have a special way of showing it."

"That's a...polite way of putting it," Jacqueline said, eating one of the cucumber slices. "Here, lemme get some hot water back in here for you."

Dragging her leg off of the rim of the tub, Jacqueline leaned forward, turning the hot water tap. She frowned, moving her hand away from the stream that came pouring out of the faucet, looking up at her wife. "Maybe you should test the water. I know it's usually too hot whenever I do it," she said with a small sideways smile, slightly flushed—and Dite knew that it wasn't from the steam.

The goddess smiled, sliding into the bath, and placing her hand under the tap. "It cooled off fast, and you're nowhere near done melting," she said, twirling the cool water tap a smidgen.

"Yeah, it's a cold one today. Very cold. Fucking freezing even. I think parts of Northern Ontario are hitting forty below. Same with the Midwest. There's like two polar vortexes, several flurries on the west coast, so Vancouver is, of course, freaking out," she said with a snicker. "I figured California could use a good scare and flurried there too, since, you know, I got SADDLED with all the WORK! Figured I may as well have some fun, y'know? Goddess of the Springs, I can't believe I got the short straw," Jacqueline said, once again doing a stellar impression of the pouty emoji. "I'm not unconvinced that Mom and Jack didn't cheat."

Dite smiled, sliding down the porcelain wall of the tub, leaning back with a happy sigh. Her wings unfurled, seemingly breathing a sigh of relief and drooping over the tub as the goddess got comfortable, the steam doing wonders to her muscles. "Well, you did an amazing job, blue eyes. There are going to be cuddles ALL OVER THE GLOBE tonight."

"I aim to please AND freeze, brown eyes," Jacqueline said with a grin, eating the other cucumber. "Anyway," she said, still chewing on the slice. "Are you done for the day? Or is this a siesta to see lil' old me? I wasn't sure how late you'd be working so timing the bath was a little bit of a challenge."

Dite laughed, sinking deeper into the tub. The bubbles went up to her neck as she sought out Jacqueline's legs, resting hers against them. She sighed, happily. "In theory, I'm done for the day! In practise, it's hard to say! Mom kidnapped Dad halfway through the morning shift."

"Does Psyche has some fun plans?"

"I guess so! She seemed excited! Anyway, I told them not to worry, I could handle the day. I mean, it's my favourite day of the year after all! Dad said he'd take the evening shift, which starts now, but I haven't heard from him yet so we'll see how it goes," Dite said, chipper.

Jacqueline sighed, sliding deeper into the water.

"What's really bugging you, babe?" Dite asked, shutting off the tap. Water sloshed out of the tub, soaking the stone floor below them. Whoops, Dite thought, watching bubbles float up from the floor.

"I had big plans for today," she admitted with a sigh. "I spent all of last week looking at ancient battle grounds to find some monsters for us to fight together today. I had two perfect locations picked out and everything! Then I was gonna make reservations at the new steak place in the South Province back at home, and then I was gonna book us one of those nice little over water beach cabins nearby so we could sit and spend the evening watching the stars and the icebergs drifting by! But then I drew the SHORT STRAW!" She said with a huff, droplets of water following her arms up into the air, the bath sloshing around her and over the rim when she crossed her arms with a splash, sinking low enough to blow bubbles in the water with her nose.

Dite sniffled. "Awwh."

Jacqueline popped out of the bubbles, looking at the blonde with concern. "Are you—are you crying?!"

"It's just. That's very very sweet of you," Dite said, with a HUGE smile, eyes tearing up.

Jacqueline flushed. "Well, it's your favourite day of the year, after all. And more importantly, I love you! Of course I'd plan something special! Shame loving your partners runs in the family."

Dite laughed. "That's not a bad thing!"

"It is when I don't get to bring my WIFE to the BEACH!"

"How about we rain cheque that?" Dite said. "For my birthday? Or yours, since that's like, around the corner."

"We can do it for yours," Jacqueline said. "After all, I planned it for you and I'm sure you already have plans for mine."

"I do indeed!" Dite said. "Thankfully, I am a planner, and I have a little plan for us this evening given that we both worked late today," she said, watching as Jacqueline's eyebrow quirked up, curious. "I stopped by that place you like in Canada, the one with the really good general tso's chicken?"

Jacqueline perked up, her back straightening. More water sloshed onto the floor. "You got us take out? From the Prosperous Lizard?"

"I did! Extra saucy and extra spicy for you! And, I stopped by all of the random little altars that pop up for me around this time and grabbed ALL of the deserts people left for offerings."

"DESSERTS?!"

"Mhmm," Dite said, nodding. "Lots of cupcakes this year! The usual chocolates, a BUNCH of roses, and, someone left us this," she said. she lifted her hand out of the water, suds drifting off as it glowed a bright pink. In front of her, a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries appeared. "Your favourite!"

"AhhhHHH! Oh my god, you were spoiled this year!"

Dite laughed. "I sure was! Which means that I get to spoil you," she said, leaning forward and booping Jacqueline's nose. "And the people who gave us these? Yeah, they get extra Hedone blessings tonight," she said with the hint of a suggestive smile.

Jacqueline sloshed forward, grabbing a strawberry and devouring it. "Mmm. This is the best," she said, sliding back down in the tub. "You're the best. I love you so goddess damned much," she said, the strawberries drifting closer to her.

"I know!" Dite said, chipper, helping herself to one of the strawberries. "And," she said, her voice sultry. "You'll love what I did with the roses."

"What you did to the. Sorry, WITH the roses?" Jacqueline quite literally squeaked, her voice cracking on the last word. Her flush deepened; the snow in her hair melting a tad bit faster. Dite's lips quirked up, a knowing little smile.

"Oh, you know," Dite said, coy, slowly sliding forward in the tub. "I spread them around the house in all the cozy spots for...ambience," she said, nose to nose with her very red wife. "Around the couch...the bed...and also, here," she said, her voice low as her hand shot up, her fingers fluttering.

Rose petals exploded, landing on the slightly runny floor and floating in the little pools of water caught in the uneven crevices of the stones. Some landed in the tub, the bubbles gently caressing the pink and red petals. A handful landed on the top of Jacqueline's head.

"Holy Hedone," Jacqueline said, flushed.

"That's my name," Hedone replied, her voice heavy and her smile. Well. Cheekily successful.

"Did you—are you. Are WE. Uh. Do you. Are you."

"You're so cute when you're all flustered," the goddess said, rubbing the face mask off of her nose and kissing the very tip.

Jacqueline smiled, this cute, warm, corkscrew-y grin that Dite had only ever seen on her when they were together. She cupped her hands, splashing water on her face and rinsing off the face mask.

"So that's a, that's a yes then?" the sprite asked, her voice going high once more.

Dite laughed, choosing to answer not with words but with a kiss.

Her lips were soft, and warm, and welcoming, and Jacqueline melted into her arms with a sigh, the rest of the snow in her hair falling right off in one go.

---

Later that evening, curled up on each other on the soft couch surrounded by all sorts of romantic flowers, a plethora of desserts laid out on the coffee table, Jacqueline glanced up at Dite.

"You know," she began, "I'm really glad we got that bigass claw foot tub," she said, pecking the underside of Dite's chin. "That was a good investment, one hundred percent."

"Oh my god, right?! I love that we both fit into it comfortably," Dite replied brightly, kissing Jacqueline's forehead. "Sitting in the hot water just being with you is," Dite sighed, happily. "Super nice."

"Hey. I love you," Jacqueline said, burying her head in Dite's shoulder. "Thanks for coming in clutch for Valentine's Day."

Dite scooped Jacqueline up, hugging her very, very tightly. "I love you too! And I hope this was a good one for you," she added with a soft smile. "Even with the short straw and the long work day."

"Easily one of my top three," Jacqueline said, snuggling even closer to Dite with a happy sigh.

"Me too," Dite said, with a soft smile filled with love. She kissed Jacqueline's messy brown head of hair. "Me too."

[spinchip]

Turn You to a Colder Summer

(a/n: I wrote and edited this during my breaks at work, don't judge my grammar mistakes too harshly hehe)

(Warnings: frostbite (descriptions of numbness), violence, blood, injury, torture, mentions of past self harm, mouth trauma, threat of potential death. Kai does not have a good time, but he lives. The Ice Emperor is a Bad Guy)

(Wordcount: 2600)

Cold fingers drag along Kai's cheek in painful friction, ice crystals cracking and cutting into his skin like nettles as the hand arcs up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear. The Ice Emperor's eyes are uncanny where they piece Kais gaze- black sclera where there should be white, burning electric blue where there should be warm sky, little flecks of gold that shift in and out of existence in the glow of the ice spires around them. No love. His expression is blank but not in the way Zanes usually is. It's cruel, clinical, and coldly detached.

Kai is bound in the floor, laid sideways to avoid the throbbing agony of brushing his frostbitten shoulder along the too-cold stone beneath him. That mark is hand-shaped, pressed brutally into his skin with a purposeful touch because Zane's ice couldn't get past the fire in his blood normally, not without excessive force or access to unlimited power. The ice blocks binding his arms behind his back and his ankles together don't sink frost as deep as when the Ice Emperor had torn him from his friends with an iron grip around his bicep. Their ambush failed. They were trying to escape, back through the tunnels Krag had shown them but he hesitated to follow, a part of him wanting to try and succeed where Lloyd had failed and draw Zane from the tyrant wearing his face. Kai knew better, he knew he couldn't get caught.

But he did, and now the Emperor is crouched over him with strange eyes and snowflakes trickling from his palm.

"He's not himself." Lloyd had said after stumbling back into the village- he’d left to look for the land bounty and had stayed gone three days, "If he catches you, he'll kill you." He promised, the sash from his ninja suit rewrapped tight over his belly and stained with his blood. The Staff of forbidden spinjitzu had a blade, after all. The Emperor was not afraid to use it. It was pure luck Lloyd had avoided the thick of the blade and hadn’t dropped his guts on the throne room floor.

To further prove his point and to save a life, he'd been dragging behind him a girl with each of her limbs encased in ice and delirious from blood loss, her mouth smeared with red where she'd coughed up bits of her lungs. He’d tapped her- just a tap against her sternum, the barest of hits that she’d nearly dodged, and he’d pushed ice into the delicate capillaries lining her lungs and frozen her blood half solid. The first breath she’d taken after had been agony, the second had torn. Akita. Lloyd had to tell them her name because she had passed out not long after arriving in the village- and when she tries to speak she was too out of it to form the right words. The blood flooding in her mouth wasn’t any help, either. Her body gave out once they began to chip her limbs free of ice, exhaustion claiming her. She was holding on to her life by a thread. Zane had done that.

No, the Ice Emperor had done that. It was an important distinction.

Kai, who'd just gotten his power back- the weak flicker that it was- had gone and gotten himself caught by the man.

The Ice Emperors eyes cut paths along his face, searching for something he knows is there but can't quite place. He'd been pacing around Kai for a long while, agitated and upset as he stared daggers at his prisoner. The frost on the edge of Kais cold and chapped lips reminds him not to speak. The Emperor has no qualms about forcing his silence. At first he’d thought the man was guarding him, too worried about the threat his powers might impose to regulate him to a typical cell under the palace. He was wrong. The Ice Emperor has no fear of him at all. Now he's so close Kai can smell oil, tracing burning cold lines into his skin as if finding the right path across his face will reveal what he's looking for.

Kai prepares for the eventual question. He also prepares for the scenario where the Emperor asks no questions and freezes his heart in his chest, but he hopes it doesn't come to that. He imagines what the Ice Emperor might ask- what the part of Zane still alive in him might push him to ask. There's no doubt that Zane still lives, because if he didn't the Emperor would have no reason to take any interest I'm him at all. He'd have been dead ten times over. Maybe he'll ask who are you? Or how do I know you? Or how do you know me? And Kai can explain to him that he loves him, he loves him, he loves him and that will make everything okay. It will. It has to.

Another long moment passes where the Emperor is crouched over him searching. Kai searches him too. Looks at everything in hope of finding the piece of the puzzle he can use to slot everything back into place. He's wearing completely different robes than he was before he was struck by the staff, white and gray and hand embroidered with diamonds made to glitter everytime he moved. His armor is growing fractals of ice in a messy, unkempt way. There's a patch where the icicles have been meticulously chipped away, but that chore was dropped and now they've been left to grow rampant. His face is dented and there's a patch of ice that's holding his jaw in place- an ugly crack from the corner of his mouth, a gap, and Kai can see where the connection between his mandible and skull has been snapped. The lopsided frown makes the break even more apparent.

The hand on his face is covered by a pure white glove. The hand on the staff is bare other than a thick case of ice, and Kai can see clear through it to the mess underneath. The titanium casing on his hand has been split apart to reveal his skeletal structure below. Kai has spent enough time in Jay and Nyas' mechanic lair under the monastery to have at least somewhat of a grasp on the basics of Zanes parts, so he knows what he's looking at. More specifically, he knows what he's not looking at. Wire- important wires, the ones Nya complains about because they have to special order them and they take ages to come- are missing. Not torn out, but neatly trimmed down near his wrist. The structure boning for his pinkie is gone, removed in the same clean fashion. There's more- Kai only knows so much, but he can tell the machinery underneath looks far more barren than a few wires and bone. Lloyd told them about the message in that cave, where he'd tried to fix the mech.

Kai can see it clearly in his mind. Zane, desperate and alone, taking the edge of a ninja star and sliding it along the near Invisible seam holding the casing of his hand together and shoving, cracking the connection points until it pops clean off. He and the mechs used the same type of wiring, after all.

The Emperor's voice is quiet when he speaks, the unfamiliar deep grit softening in the question meant just for the space between them, "Why do I hate you so much?"

Kais heartbreak over what might have happened in the cave stalls, every part of his mind thrown off rhythm with a question he never would have guessed he'd be asked. He can't articulate a response because he can't understand why Zane would hate him, and why that emotion would be leaking out into the Ice Emperor now.

"Zane-" He starts before his mouth is sealed shut with a layer of ice. Brain freeze hits first, sharp and cruel and like an icepick up through the roof of his mouth. Frost invades his mouth and glues his teeth together, crawling halfway down his throat. It hurts all the way to the roots of his teeth and he thrashes on instinct, bouncing his head off hard stone before he can control his reaction. Every part of his face hurts. There's a terrifying moment where the ice spreads over the back of his throat and seals off his sinuses and he's certain the Emperor has finally decided to kill him by suffocating him to death.

But the ice recedes almost as quickly as it came, though the Emperor keeps his hand over Kais mouth as a reminder not to slip up again. That was worse than the first time he'd done it, Kai doesn't want to know how bad it might be next.

The Ice Emperor's face is terrifyingly blank, a mask that gives absolutely nothing to Kai, so empty it scares him more than anything he's done so far. The interest in his eyes has fractured, and underneath is a hatred that makes the black of his pupils seem darker.

"You and your friends," his voice is still gentle, chillingly calm, "I hate all of you so much. I do not know why, but I do. I want to punish you."

Kai’s heart is jack rabbiting in his chest, beating at his ribs as adrenaline floods his system with nowhere to go. Fight or flight and he can't do either.

He takes his hand off Kai's mouth, "Speak." He orders.

Kai is woefully unprepared, stumbling over himself to try and come up with some way to remind Zane who he is. Lloyd told him that Zane said he loved them in his goodbye video. Why did that change? Was it the staff corrupting his mind? But the staff can only feed feelings that were already there. Did some part of Zane, some small part, really hate him?

"You're sick," he tries, his tongue darting out to try and wet chapped lips but its been hours since he's had a drink and his mouth is dry, "The staff is altering your mind, Zane. This isn't you. We're all friends! We love you!" He isn't above pleading and he pours desperation into each word, "You have to remember! I love you!"

The Emperor tilts his head inquisitively to the side as his expression flickers along the edges. Kai still knows Zane well enough to pick up on the minute changes- not a hint of it is kind. Whatever Kai said picked something loose, but not enough. Not enough. The light In his eyes changes but not in any way Kai can understand. He presses his finger to Kais mouth and seals it with another layer of ice, stopping his words. The air is thick, fraught with a tension so strong Kai can barely breathe through it. The Emperor looks at him. His eyes are so dark. He can still see Zane in everything the man does.

"I waited for you," the Ice Emperor speaks slowly, sounding out the sentence as if reaffirming its truth. A piece of Zane, just a sliver- a curiosity for the man crouched before him. It's a feeling, a certainty of a grievous crime, "And you never came."

It's bone chilling hatred.

It's betrayal.

Kais heart drops through his stomach and cracks to pieces on the icy floor. No no no-! He can't wrench his jaw free of his muzzle but he tries desperately to. He tries to scream, to howl and pour heat into his mouth- fire reacts to his devotion to his family, rushing through his body but again Kai is not enough.

We didn't know! We couldn't have known! We came as soon as we could! He thrashes on the floor, tries to bash his jaw down to shatter ice. He wants to grab the Emperor by the shoulders and shake shake shake him until his head pops off. I would have torn apart the sixteen realms to get to you! He's crying and the tears sting where they drip down his face. I would do anything!

He slumps, boneless and sore where his skin bruises on stone. He's thirsty, he's starving, and he's so so cold. The fire flickers out of him back down to an ember, faint and comforting if not much else. He blinks the wet from his eyes and sees the Emperors white white robes are stained with blood at the bottom. Above him, the tyrant moves.

Kai pushes himself back, the reality really sinking in. He was going to die here. No! he couldn't! He couldn't let Zane do this because when they got him back- and they would get him back, Kai has to believe that- he would never forgive himself. His back hits a pillar of ice and he looks around wildly, trying to figure out some way to get out of this, a smoking gun, a dues ex machina- anything! To stop what's coming.

He can do nothing. He squeezes his eyes shut as the Ice Emperor cups his cheek gently- but there's no ice stabbing into his brain, no agony of a literal ice pick lobotomy. The Emperors thumb wipes away an errant tear. A heartbeat passes before Kai hesitantly looks up at him.

The Emperor's face is still and serene, "I am not going to kill you, Kai." There is a moment of relief, even an inkling of hope before the chill comes.

It seeps into his skin from the Emperor's hand, down down through his face- It pours like slush through fat and muscle, cutting through his cheek to burn his gums and freeze the nerves in his teeth. It gets colder. Kai tries to dislodge his hand but the Emperor jerks forward and slams him down, holding his head against the stone floor as he pours ice into his blood faster, more brutal. Kai can't scream, his jaw locking against the bite of frost. It gets colder. It burns like the road rash he’d gotten the first time he’d wrecked his motorcycle, but a million times worse. Pain overwhelms all of his senses until he forgets how to breathe, hyperventilating and trying miserably to suck in enough air through his nose. His mouth is still sealed shut, he can't get enough air- he can't- His vision flickers with black spots.

It gets colder.

Feeling stops, numbness spreading like a balm over dying nerves. He stops struggling, taking advantage of the respite to catch his breath. His chest hurts with how hard his heart beats. His head is spinning. He looks up at the Ice Emperor with exhausted eyes and finds no pity, and especially no mercy. As Kai had struggled and sobbed in agony, he’d watched it all happen. He’d just watched. Kai is aware of the hand in his face by pressure alone, feeling blissfully gone.

The Ice Emperor takes his hand away.

He lays there and breathes, a tingling feeling spreading over his cheek. Pins and needles that turn sharper and sharper. With the loss of cold, feeling creeps back in and Kai is slowly aware of every inch of dying skin the frostbite has decimated. It hurts- it hurts like nothing he's ever experienced. He can't comprehend the pain, his mind blanking out as the blood roars in his ear. His vision goes gray at the edges as he struggles to stay awake. He can't pass out- he has to bring Zane back. He has to. He can't let him hurt the others. He can’t fail him like he did with the fight against Aspheera. Kai has to be enough. Please let him be enough.

The Emperor cards a hand through Kai's bangs, deceptively gentle as he wipes sweat slick hair off his forehead.

"I want you to suffer."

[yamiartstash]

Some more fan-made Nuke-Level crystal concepts I made for Storm Hawks. Though I try to edit digitally (as well as rearrange the order), I feel like I messed up on their coloring. Below the line are their name and descriptions.

Shadow Frost Crystal: A highly powerful crystal linked to the Demon Lord Grausherra Dynast. Use of it emits a shadowy frost which can freeze the target into nearly unbreakable ice. Records of the crystal state that touching it directly is so cold that it burns.

Dynast Stone: Less powerful crystals that are derived from the Dark Lord Dynast. Though lacking, they make up in versatility, exhibiting both ice and lightning properties. Also, they are known to be cold to the touch.

Deepsea Crystal: A rare crystal with magics that comes from Deep Sea Dolphin. It is highly powerful, able to create powerful water shockwaves. However it has a volatile nature and, according to some texts, supposedly causes hallucinations.

Dolph Stone:  These crystals are uncommon vessels that draw from Deep Sea Dolphin’s power but to a lesser extent. They’re known to manipulate water, creating powerful torrents to blast back any opposition. Though you need to be close to water in order to use it.

Beast Brid Crystal: Linked to Beastmaster Zelas, the Beast Brid Crystal draws from ancient and feral energies. It can shoot bolts of light at an enemy as well as enhance the user’s body. But prolonged use of it causes behavioral as well as physical changes.

Beastia Stone: Crystals that are rumored to be affiliated with Beastmaster. When used, they give the user physical enhancements as well as animalistic characteristics. They’re also used as a core for chimera experimentations.

Holy Zephyr: Uncommon crystals that are vessels imbued with holy power. They perform many uses such as healing, empowering others, and sealing and vanquishing evil. While not as powerful as the Divine Light, they still require a certain amount of vitality for use.

Stellar Stone: These crystals are affiliated with spirits and are used for basic white and spirit magic. Depending on their grade, they can exert high-level magic equal to that of any high-class Demon’s Blood.