#d20 drabble

[professorfcknmoriarty]

Trick or Treat! Your mismag drabbles are giving me life! If you're not too busy, I'd love some EvSam..

I feel like a lot of discussion of their relationship centers around Sam comforting Evan... I'd love to see some Evan comforting/protecting Sam!

Hand shaking, she struggles to not drop the phone.

It rings.

Once.

Twice.

A thi-

“Hello?” his voice is groggy from sleep and she almost sobs in relief at the sound.

“Hi,” she says, trying her best to sound like she hasn’t just been crying. “Hey, Ev’.”

“Sam?” he asks, suddenly sounding infinitely more alert than he was a moment ago. “What’s up? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s- I’m fine,” she reassures him quickly, rubbing at her nose with the back of her hand. It’s wet from snot and she feels gross.

“Where are you?” he asks. She can hear the noise of something in the background, rather like air rapidly decompressing from something.

“Why?” she asks. “You don’t need to- you don’t have to come.”

The sound of a window opening and a deep breath in. “Sam,” he says, his voice dangerously low. “Either tell me exactly what happened or tell me where you are, so I can make sure you’re safe.”

“London,” she says, “Outside a pub. In- the West End? I’m- I’m not sure.”

“Got it,” he says. She can hear the sound of his fingers flying across the screen of his phone. For a guy who only had a flip phone for the longest time, he took to screens really well. “I can be there in five. Is that soon enough?”

A door opens behind her and she holds her breath, taking the phone off speaker and turning the sound down so Evan won’t give her away. “Sam?” a voice calls. “Samantha? I know you’re out here.”

She doesn’t respond.

Faintly, through the phone, she can hear whooshing wind - the sound of him on his broom. Just knowing he’s coming is enough to turn her stomach into knots and make her feel safe at the exact same time. It’s stupid, this is stupid. He’s going to think she’s stupid for calling him crying over something this ridiculous.

“Ugh,” the voice says, the door slamming again as they go back in.

Sam breathes out sharply, peeking out from behind the dumpster to make sure they really left and aren’t just faking it. It’s what Evan would do, if he were here.

They’re gone. She turns the volume back up. “Sorry,” she says. “I -"

“Sam, who was that?” his voice is a little tinny but she can make it out okay.

There’s wine all over the front of her dress and T2’s going to kill her over the dry-cleaning bill. She doesn’t answer. “I’m okay,” she says. “It’s not- I’m not in danger. I promise.”

The sound of rushing wind stops and then his voice comes through clearer. “If it’s safe, can you walk out into the street for me?”

She pushes up from her seat on one of the small crates and brushes off her dress, though it’s a futile effort. Most of her things are still inside, she’d only had her phone on her when she rushed out, and now she’s kicking herself for it. She’s going to have to go back in to get her stuff or give them up and hope someone turns them into the bartender so she can maybe get them back in the morning.

Stepping out under the streetlights, Sam gives the street a quick look around. “Okay,” she says, “I’m on the street.”

“Thank you,” he says politely. “I want you to pick something and think about it as hard as you can. Focus everything you have on thinking about it.”

A little confused, Sam closes her eyes, and thinks about Evan.

After about fifteen seconds, she hears, “I see you.”

When she opens her eyes, he’s walking up to her, his broom already stashed away in his backpack. The final few paces, he jogs to her, reaching out in concern at the stain on her dress. “Is that -"

“Wine,” she says quickly, not sure what to do with her phone now. Not waiting for him to open his arms, she throws hers around him, latching onto him. Her face buried in his neck, she breathes the smell of Evan. Warm, a little like the forest after a spring rain, and perfectly him.

His hand comes up to cup the back of her head, his other hand not so subtly checking her for injuries.

“What happened?” he asks. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she says, pulling away to sniffle. “I’m sorry- you shouldn’t have- I shouldn’t have called. It’s just -" she stuffs her phone in between her boobs for lack of a better place to put it. “Did I ever tell you about my dad?”

-

With Evan’s coat wrapped around her to cover up the stain on her dress, Sam feels like she’s been wrapped in a spell of protectiveness. They walk back into the pub, him just a few steps ahead of her. “Which one?” he asks, his voice low.

Sam points.

“Wait here,” he instructs, passing over his backpack for her to hold.

She waits.

He strides up to her father, clasping him on the shoulder to get his attention. She’s too far away to hear what’s being said but it’s less than a minute before Evan’s widening his stance and she knows exactly what he’s going to do. Too bad that no one else does.

Her father hits the floor like he’s been slammed into by a cannonball, sliding backwards several feet. He looks up at Evan in a daze.

The rest of the pub falls completely silent, no one daring to move or even thinking to intervene.

Evan steps up over her father, his foot coming down to the man’s wrist to hold it in place. Crouching down, he removes her purse from his grasp.

He opens it, checking to make sure everything she carries is in there, and then digs his heel in for good measure. “Stay the fuck away from Sam,” she hears Evan say, his voice dangerously serious.

“C’mon,” he says, pulling Sam in close with one arm hooked around her shoulder. He kisses the side of her head. “Let’s get you home.”

Sam cries a little again, but for a whole different reason this time.

“Thanks, Ev’,” she whispers.

“Anytime, Sam,” Evan says. “Anytime.”

[brionbroadway]

“I just don't want to see my son killing himself to get huge accolades for other people that call him The Ball.”

She doesn’t get it.

Which is weird, because his mom gets everything. She is the only person Riz trusts to put pins on his conspiracy board. She sees connection where others see coincidence; she gets confessions where others get pleasantries. She is intuitive but not hasty, confident but not conceited. She’s smart.

So it’s strange, for there to be a disconnect in her perception to what Riz considered a fact.

“The Ball is a good thing.”

Of all the mysteries in his mind, this was not one of them.

His friends love him, and he loves them, so he helps. It’s what his dad would do and what his mom still does, and he is lucky enough to have parents that can double as role models. What can he trust in if not that and his friends?

“I don’t like it. Your name is Riz, and your friends, whom I love, I just want to make sure that you're not being taken advantage of.”

She does love his friends; that’s another fact. Riz has to reconcile that love and disapproval can coexist, that unfair treatment can happen without intention.

But it is different now than it was at the beginning of the school year, right? He can’t deny that his friends are working hard, even if their methods aren’t always the ones he’d choose for them. The facts are, and the facts are what Riz needs to focus on, that all of them are somehow facing more than they ever have before, stressors stacked on top of each other until they can no longer see one another.

His mom doesn’t get it.

And Riz feels lonelier than he did at the beginning of their conversation.

[hypahfixations]

It was only a few minutes. Ten at most. But fuck if they weren't up there as the most heavenly experience Evan had ever had.

They had insisted, his beloved friends, they snuggle together on his small air mattress. It was barely big enough for him alone but two feasibly could if push came to shove. But Sam and K had insisted, with voices that wouldn't be swayed and large, sincere eyes he could never refuse. When Evan had laid down on the very edge to be as thin as possible, K tugged at him in an achingly familiar way. His body turned from memory, settling in the center on his back and extending an arm that K immediately slotted themself into. Evan glanced at Sam and extended his other arm in invitation, only slightly surprised when she nestled in as if the act were the most natural thing in the world.

Both leaned into him.

K on his right, as they always had been, curling up small under his arm. Their leg flamingo hitched high on his lap and fist kitten tucked into his side and under their chin. Evan returned the cradle in kind, holding them tight, returning compression.

Sam on his left, immediately comfortable, draped herself across his body and enveloped him. Her head rested upon his chest, and her arm melted over to his other side to idly stroke K's scalp. Her leg lazily wrapped around his with toes similarly rubbing into his calf.

This would be enough for him. Enough for a lifetime.

Inspired by this lovely art by @sootchild

[cccakessslicemeee]

+some thoughts but I don't have the time to create a full fic so uh... Here if you like?

Season 3 spoilers??? Yeah read at your own risk

I guess also season 1 spoilers???

--------------------------------------------------------

Y'all think there's a world where Riz takes on so much fucking stress his heart gives out and his mom is the first person to find him home and dead?

Papers all over the place. Kristen's campaign scattered across his desk. No sign of a struggle, lukewarm coffee on the desk. He worked himself to death.

And she just has to have a second to really process what this bullshit friend group is putting her baby through. Are they even his friends? Why is he putting his blood, sweat, and tears into their bullshit? Why can't they step the fuck up?

She has him revived and brings him to a hospital because gods know how long it's been since he's had a real check up. She's fuming.

Riz feels like absolute shit. Sure he's alive but the tension all over is still there and his chest still kinda hurts. Ugh. This sucks.

He doesn't fight with his mom or the doctors he kind of wishes everyone would fucking shut the fuck up. The lights are too bright and everyone's voice is three times higher than it needs to be. Man what level do wizards or whatever get to be able to casts zone of silence?

What follows next is the biggest crash from burnout. It swallows Riz whole and puts him in a functional depression but he doesn't have the energy to do literally anything. He doesn't say a word to his friends about what happened because honestly it's just so fucking dumb. They don't need to know.

Sklonda probably pops off when her and Gorthalax have dinner or whatever. Obviously I don't think she'd bad mouth Fig Infront of her father but boy shitting howdy does she have essays about Fabian and Kristen. Everyone honestly probably has essays to spew about Kristen and her nonsense but regardless.

Gorthalax very subtly tries to mention something to fig but she figures that shit out real quick and oh fuck Riz was so stressed out his heart popped. She goes german shepherd about it and makes a lotta stops at Riz's place. Only to her surprise Riz is not in his business casual. Who the fuck is this guy? It's Riz but he's swimming in sweaters and he looks so tired. He doesn't want her here right now he doesn't feel good.

There's a long pause between the pair before Riz knows that she knows and they both feel so fucking bad.

"I went to bard class today. And I'm gonna go again tomorrow."

"...so you're doing what you're supposed to do? Finally? Congratulations?"

"Yeah...so everyone's at Mordred if you wanna pop over? Lydia made so much chili-you know how she do."

"I do, know she cooks for an army. Thanks for stopping by but I really just want to sleep. Save me some?"

"No promises. You can sleep at the manner with us. No one can get into my room so like if you wanna be left alone you can be alone but with us?"

"I would really appreciate being truly just alone right now. Thanks."

"That sucks. I miss your face. Can I come in?"

"Please don't. Fig I really can't. Please just leave me alone. I don't want to be bothered. "

"Is it because it's me? Because like I could go get Fabian or Adine."

"No. Sometimes people just want to be alone."

"Oh. Okay I get that. Yeah so if you need me I'll just be outside the door."

"Fucking hell-no. NO! I want to be left entirely alone. Please go back to the manner. It's gonna be so weird if you just hover at my door."

"Well it's that or I crash on your couch? Or you come to the manor? "

"Why are you like this?"

"I went shepherded mode. Sorry. I promise to shut up if you let me inside. Please?"

For the first time in his life he thinks about putting a hole in his friends chest. For only a half second. Fig is just being herself and this is how she shows love. By being a clingy pain in the ass. He begrudgingly lets her inside because if he doesn't he'll never get to sleep again. She'll do something about it.

He goes to bed. She watches the fantasy equivalent of legally blonde and whatever else comes across the T.V.

Riz loses the desire to do anything. His clue board looks fucked up but he couldn't care less. His briefcase feels so damn heavy in his hand now, the suits are so damn restrictive and hard to breathe in. The necktie his father gave him feels like a noose now. Ugh. It's too much. He's a bad son whatever, worse agent.

Maybe his dad calls to check in. He was doing a mission wasn't he? He doesn't have the stomach to lie to his dad so he just doesn't pick up. Can't lie if you don't say anything right? He can apologize later when he doesn't feel as shitty.

Riz spends a lot of time in bed doing nothing. It's such a hard pivot and Sklonda has no idea how to handle this. She tries.

Fig tells the bad kids that Riz is in a funk and she blames herself because she's probably the reason his heart popped. When they get the gritty deets I think it ticks something in all their brains collectively and they crack down on the school bullshit. Mainly helping Kristen and Fig through their stuff and Gorgug you can't really do much for him because the teacher hates him but they still try.

Riz doesn't want to do a fucking thing. He just wants to sleep. Fabian sees Riz in a state of being similar to his mom and it's wild. He doesn't know how to handle that.

"Riz if you don't get the fuck up, I'm going to stab you."

"you know where the door is. You can leave."

And Fabian stabs Riz in his side. The goblin frenzy's so hard bc what the fuck man that shit hurts why are you being a huge piece of shit ow! There's blood on my sheets you pompous asshole.

They have a fight. It's more of like a pissed off cat clawing the shit out of its owner and the owner just trying not to lose an eye while lil Tiffany calms the fuck down.

Fabian hog ties Riz and they go to Mordred Manor where Kristen was practicing her campaign speeches Infront of a wide audience of Zayne Dark shadow, Jawbone, Sandra Lynn, Adine, and quite possibly a couple of other spirits just floating about. She's really stepped up her game and even put on a clip on tie! God she's so like, professional now. Maybe she's got a suit on bc she's really fucking trying.

Riz is kind of impressed. Like it's still not good but the effort Kristien is pouring into this still counts for something. And it's better than it was before.

Jawbone probably cheers for her. "Hell yeah, Fetty Wap. ((Who the fuck is that?))" And Adine has to whisper explain it to him.

Sandra Lynn sees something in Riz she can relate to and she doesn't like that. He's so young. He shouldn't be having those feelings. Jawbone clocks it too but doesn't get in the way or dog pile Riz. For now they put him at the table and just try to get him something to eat. No appetite. Go figure. They've seen him inhale food before and three bites (pretty generous honestly) of chili are not enough to fill his belly. There ain't no way.

Adine sees Riz's fucked up foot and she looks to Fabian already knowing what happened. "Did you stab him?"

"it was a friendly stabbing. Thank you. It got him up and out of bed."

And Fabian is also covered in claw marks and several bites

"well I suppose that's true."

Kristen's got it. She heals up Riz's foot and Fabian's everything.

Riz tries to leave after a lil bit but they won't let him. He really wants some space. Everyone's kinda suffocating him in a way where they are trying *not* to be on top of him. It sucks.

Riz does something crazy. He slips off his shoes and socks and climbs out the window getting on the roof just to get away from all the "Riz would you like to..., Riz could you.., Riz come here a second.." he needs to breathe.

When he gets to the rooftop Sandra Lynn is there smoking a clove. "You have a high tolerance." She remarks.

"yeah well... Yeah." He sighs.

"you want me to leave? If you promise not to fling yourself from the rooftop I'll let you have the roof."

"I'm not gonna make Kristen waste her spell slots on me."

That's horribly telling.

"kiddo... What good is a cleric who doesn't heal her friends? That's kinda the whole point of having revivify and greater restoration. Isn't that why YOU ripped a defibrillator off the wall on freshman year?"

His ears bounce. "How do you even know about that?"

She laughs. "Jawbone does not stop talking about you guys. They haven't had the time or the funding to replace that one in the cafeteria you yanked yet he was complaining about it being a safety hazard and I asked who would be dumb enough to rip that thing off the walls."

"Oh. Wow. That feels like a lifetime ago."

"Doesn't it?" She muses. "Hey. I know Jawbone is a lot to some people but if you need to talk to anyone and it's not him he knows a lot of other reputable people."

"why does everyone think that? I'm perfectly fine."

"...Are you? You took your shoes off to climb the manor. It's a pretty long climb."

Frustrated. "Did you know I'd be up here?"

"You think you're the only one who needs a breather? I love my daughters so much but there are times I have to get the fuck away from them. I'd do anything for them. Anything. But sometimes I have to take a puff of a clove and not be near them and their energy. It's not because I don't love them, I wish I could tolerate the nonsense as well as Jawbone does. Truly. But some people have thinner nerves and weaker stomachs."

"it's because of Kristen isn't it?"

She smiles and then shrugs. "It's because of Kristen this time, but mostly because I see myself in Fig and I can do almost nothing to stop her from walking in the same direction I did when I was her age. I think you help her with that, you all do so before I run my mouth all night thank you for making sure my daughter has good friends who love her."

"I know she loves me a lot too. I don't get it with her...nonsense but I know she loves me and that means a lot."

"I have love for you too kiddo. Don't feel like you can't reach out to any of us. Okay?"

"...yeah. thanks."

Sandra Lynn smiles. She ruffles his hair a little bit then goes back inside so Riz can stare at the stars until the sun comes up. Tomorrow is another day.

[lucy-frostblade]

femslash feb day 28- warmth

Tracker’s Moon Haven didn’t generate heat. It wasn’t necessarily cold outside, so it wasn’t that much of a problem until they went on the water, the temperatures plummeting in the night, leaving them all huddling under blankets, limbs thrown over each other as they slept. 

Tracker wasn’t one for physical contact, too many hugs that she shied away from and hands gripping her wrists when she was younger to make her feel comfortable with it. Uncle Jawbone understood, asking for hugs and making sure he had permission before touching her. Uncle Jawbone was more her dad than her father was. Kristen, and by extension, the rest of the Bad Kids, were very physically affectionate. Kristen still asked, still made sure it was okay before she grabbed Tracker’s hand or wrapped her in a hug, but as Tracker became more comfortable around the Bad Kids, more secure in who she was, she started noticing the rest of the Bad Kids initiating contact. Fig would throw her legs over Tracker’s lap during dinner, Adaine would fall asleep on her whenever they watched movies, Riz, normally jittery and fast moving, settling enough to press his shoulder to hers. 

Now, late at night in the middle of the ocean, the Hangvan rocking side to side and the temperature getting colder and colder, Tracker wants nothing more than to crawl into the Moon Haven and sleep with the weight of her friends surrounding her. 

Sandralynn was taking the first shift, sitting in the driver's seat after practically kicking Gorgug out so he could sleep. Tracker fidgets with the strings of Kristen’s Owlbears hoodie that she was pretty sure was originally Fabian’s, not sure how to go about asking. She’d known the Bad Kids for almost as long as they’ve known each other, but they had some wordless communication (outside of message) that Tracker always felt like an outsider too. 

Around her, the other Bad Kids were grabbing blankets, shoving pillows into the center of the Moon Haven and changing into PJs, moving seamlessly together like the space wasn’t just barely big enough for all of them. 

(Maybe if Tracker was a better cleric, she could-) 

“Tracker?” Kristen’s next to her. Tracker didn’t know when she arrived, but she could feel the warmth emanating from Kristen. “You going to sleep soon?” Tracker hums and drops her head on Kristen’s shoulder. “Can I…” Tracker trails off. “You wanna sleep in the cuddle pile with us?” Kristen’s grin widens, and Tracker was prepared for teasing, for Kristen to poke and prod and laugh at her for feeling so off about it even though this isn’t the first time, but Kristen doesn’t, just holds out her hand for Tracker to take and pulls her towards the growing pile of Bad Kids. Tracker ends up curled into Kristen’s side. Ragh’s arm is thrown over the both of them, Riz is curled up next to Kristen’s feet, his tail draped over Tracker’s leg. Fig and Adaine are above them, Fig’s hair out of its braid for once and tickling Tracker a little. Fabian and Gorgug are on Ragh’s other side, and Tracker is completely surrounded. Her eyes close and she lets herself relax into the warmth and the trust of her friends.

ao3

taglist: @blueskiesandstarrynights @dapper-nahrwhale @disdoorted-crows @starstruckodysseys @genuine-possum @automaticsoulharmony

[lucyfrostblade]

i have committed voter fraud for ratgrundlr, may i request a drabble focusing on kristen and kipperlilly? some kipperbees would be a bonus but id love to see anything that focuses on their dynamic in general ^_^ i’m curious how youd interpret them :3

want a drabble? vote for ratgrundlr and submit your prompt. commit voter fraud once and get two drabbles!!

word count: 834

The rune on Kipperlilly's chest pulsed in beat with her heart. It was warming than she expected it to be, made the sweater vests that she'd taken to wearing to cover it up even warmer than they already were. She glared across the cafeteria at Kristen Applebees.

Spring break ended, and the Bad Kids were enjoying the high pedestal they were on. Kristen Appleebees was the belle of the ball, it seemed. No one shut up about her. Kipperlilly heard a thousand whispers about her. How brave she was to go into the Forest of the Nightmare King. How gifted she was to master self-resurrection. How devoted she must've been to bring a dead god.

Kipperlilly's own spring break had been eventful—Porter's knife against her throat while she knelt in front of an alter to another long dead god. She'd had help coming back, but at the end of the day, it'd been her that welcomed in the rage that burned within her chest. Soon she'd bring back a god herself. Soon she'd kill that god and christen Porter the new ruler of her domain.

“You could always talk to her.” Lucy said from her place at Kipperlilly's side.

She kicked Lucy under the table. Her glare remained glued to Kristen Applebees. “Please explain to me why I would ever talk to Kristen Appleebees.”

“Well, you have been staring at her for a while.”

From across the table, Ivy snorted. “Pretty sure she's calling you gay, Kip.”

“If any of you are deluded enough to think that I have any sort of attraction to Kristen fucking Appleebees I suggest you go talk to Jawbone before you hurt yourself.” For the first time since lunch started, Kipperlilly turned away from Kristen Appleebees.

“I believe you, Lilly, don't worry.” Lucy said, and Kipperlilly focused her glare on Lucy.

Lucy pressed her hand to her mouth, poorly suppressing a laugh. “What? Why are you glaring at me now?”

“Really Kipperlilly, you need to learn about to talk to the girls you like without pulling their pigtails. We aren't in middle school anymore.” Oisin added.

***

Kipperlilly glared at Kristen Applebees from across the room. Another Seacaster party raged around her. Music thrummed from the speakers. The scents of milk and vodka and sweat mixed into a truly horrible combination. And the body heat of a hundred or so teenagers crammed into one house left Kipperlilly coated in a thin layer of sweat.

Not very becoming of a presidential candidate. Not that anyone could see Kipperlilly's anyway. She'd kept up invisibility since she slipped into the party, easy to keep tabs on her opponent then. She watched Kristen Applebees with the intensity of the sun that her the unnamed goddess of rage once ruled over.

Her eyes lingered on the sliver of exposed skin where Kristen's tracksuit jacket had slipped off her shoulder, the purple of the sports bra stark against her skin. She blinked, focused back on Kristen Appleebees in the abstract, and not the reality of her across the room.

In the month or so since the start of the school year, Kristen Appleebees's hair had grown a bit more unkempt than it already was. Her bangs were long enough to get into her eyes, and she raised a hand to tuck a few of the worst offenders behind her ear. Kipperlilly's heart rate spiked. It was so horribly presidential, she thought.

She leaned closer to Adaine, whispered something in her ear, but as she leaned closer, some of that horrible milk and vodka combination sloshed out of the red plastic cup and onto her hand. Kristen raised her hand to her mouth and licked the split drink off her hand before it dripped onto the floor. Kipperlilly blinked again.

Kristen Applebees walked away from Adaine then, waved as she walked towards the kitchen.

Kipperlilly pushed herself off the wall and followed. She re-upped her invisibility, just in case. In that moment, in that horribly inopportune moment, Lucy Frostblade haunted Kipperlilly.

You could talk to her. Lucy's words from last spring rattled around in her skull as she followed the path Kristen Appleebees took. She remembered Lucy's hidden laugh, rage bubbled within her chest.

If she saw a flash of blue in the corner of her eye,startled so abruptly that her invisibility dropped, and then realized it was nothing more than a painting of the Hangman on the sea, that was her business

“Didn't take you for the sort to admire art.”

At the sound of Kristen Appleebees's voice, rage grounded Kipperlilly back in Seacaster Manor. “I highly doubt you understand the nuances of admiring art.”

Kristen opened her mouth, shut it as quickly as she opened it, and then downed the rest of her drink. “Fuck it, do you want to make out?”

Kipperlilly clenched her fists, turned to glare at Kristen. Her eyes caught on her lips. “If you tell anyone about this I will bury you, Applebees.”

“Wouldn't have it any other way, Copperkettle.”

[cookies-over-yonder]

i think i really miss my bed, oh when will the nightmare end?

Riz stays working late at his office, and Sklonda checks up on him.

ao3

title from The Milk Carton by Madilyn Mei

Riz Gukgak is hanging on by a thread.

He knows this, of course, but with one more of his friends' essays done, he can't stop now.

He wipes his tears—it's best not to risk staining the ink—and checks his to do list once more.

It's too blurry to read. Riz takes off his glasses and wipes them with a cloth, but when he puts them back on, nothing has changed.

Fucking tears.

And just to add to the misery, his stomach starts to ache worse than before. It's distracting.

Riz can't contain a yelp when there's a sudden knock on his office door.

"Riz, honey? It's getting late, can I come in?"

Riz gets up and unlocks the door, letting his mom inside before sitting back at his desk. His breathing is shaky, but maybe she won't notice?

"Oh, baby, why are you crying?" she asks, setting down a bag of fast food on his desk and wiping away a tear with her thumb.

"I—I don't know," Riz says, his voice wobbly, as he tosses his glasses onto his desk and rubs his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eleven," she says, wrapping him in a hug, which only makes him start to sob.

"It—it's not—it's not even that late, Mom..."

"Have you eaten?"

He shakes his head.

"You can eat on the way home."

"But I have more to—"

"No, we're going home."

"But—"

"And I know you haven't been sleeping, so you're gonna do that too."

Riz whines something small and childish, clinging to his mom like his life depends on it.

Maybe it does.

They head home, and Riz finishes off a slightly cold burger and fries sitting in what was once his dad's side of his parents bed, beside his mom who combs her fingers through his hair and fails to coax out of him exactly how much he's eaten and slept.

And Riz stays just like that for the rest of the night, crying in his mom's arms on his dad's side of the bed. It reminds him of the weeks after his dad died, which just makes him cry harder. But just like those weeks, he eventually drifts off, feeling safe in her arms.

[highfiveheroes]

Small, interesting, still - Ruben

For the writer block thing

ooooh this will be fun!!

-

For someone so squeamish, Ruben really likes the spring.

Bugs like his house. It's near enough to water and woods that when the spring comes, he finds things crawling on his windowsills and in his kitchen and on his driveway more often than not. He doesn't think Kipperlilly likes them much, but what does she know anyway?

This morning it's a centipede, slowly inching its way across the windowsill in the bathroom. He'd been brushing his teeth; at the sight of movement he stops, stares at it, and puts his toothbrush upright in the holder with the toothpaste still on it.

It's late enough in the morning that he probably won't be impeding anyone's get-ready routine, so he can take a minute. He kneels on the toilet and leans over the back of it to put his arms against the wall. The centipede stops for a second, wiggles as though it's contemplating something...

Slowly, Ruben raises a single finger and runs it along the back of the insect. It jerks, then starts running away faster. He just watches it. He watches it, and beyond the centipede, he contemplates the sun and the sky and what the fuck any of them are even doing.

Once, after a particularly harrowing day working with Porter, Ruben had been so out of it that he'd come home and stared at an article of bug facts for three hours, trying to invade his mind with interesting tidbits about bugs instead of watching Porter in memory scream at them and murder—

Well, anyway, he wonders if this particular centipede has 100 sets of legs like it's supposed to or if it's got more or less like real ones do. It crawls into a hole Ruben hadn't noticed was there, aiming for outside. He'll never know, then. He doesn't move though; he stays still, eyes trained on the horizon. The sun has been up for a while now. It's late spring, which means he's treated to earlier and earlier sunrises now, but all of it's moot when he gets up at ten in the morning anyway.

The closer they get to summer, the closer he is to having to deal with this mess Kipperlilly and Oisin had gotten them involved in. He wishes it could be early spring forever, or even winter, something to stave off the disaster that's coming. He knows he's only a small part of a plan much bigger than he is, and he knows what he wants is inconsequential in the face of Porter and Kipperlilly and Oisin, and he knows he'd be better off if he could separate himself, or die, or something, because god only knows how poorly this is going to go—

Well, anyway, it's Saturday morning in late spring. Ruben is squeamish, but he doesn't hate the world for it. He only hates himself.

He picks up his toothbrush again.

[serenescribe]

anyways hi guys. life update. uni is killing me. also i got into fantasy high and d20 in general so i may write that in the future BUT i am still into twst and i still love lilia and silver so. that's not ending here.

[aidanchaser]

also, what is you favourite D20 season? 👀

!!

Neverafter. It was a lot of fun. Though Tiny Heist is very special to me and was very cute. I haven't seen all of them though. I've been working through Sophomore Year for like... a year and a half now... hoping to be done before 2024.

I'm only guessing from your reblogs that yours is crown of candy / ravening war??

[hitheeprithee]

It's been a month of unexpected emergency expenses (RIP my car windshield 😔), and I could really use some funds, so your friendly local dabbler is opening up commissions!

Writing Commissions:

Message me with a concept or a pairing and I'll write you something! Comfortable with Hermitcraft, Life Series, and some Empires! If you have another fandom in mind, message me and we can chat! I have a variety of other interests (including Critical Role, D20, Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes and Firefly to name only a few) and would be happy to work in any fandom I'm familiar with :)

Any amount guarantees at least a 100 word drabble!

$5 and up - 250 to 500 words

$10 and up - 500 to 750 words

$15 and up - 750 to 1000 words

$20 and up - 1000 to 1500 words

$30 and up - 1500 to 2000 words

More than that - DM me and we can talk!

Character Doodle Commissions:

Any characters! OC's welcome with references :)

Any amount guarantees a doodle of a character of your choice!

$10 and up - 2 characters

$15 and up - 3 characters

$20 and up - name me an idea and I'll do my best!

Tattoo Commissions:

Message me with a specific idea or some concepts that are meaningful to you and I'll work with you on a design! Examples of my work here and here (tumblr isn't letting me add the images, so please feel free to DM for further examples!)

$30 - Simple tattoo

$40 - Detailed tattoo

$50 - Complex tattoo

Please reach out with an ask or a DM if you have any questions, any signal boosting would be deeply appreciated!

[professorfcknmoriarty]

@resplendeo

Admittedly, deciding spontaneously that he wanted to be six and a half feet tall meant that he didn’t necessarily put a lot of thought into the logistics of it.

Previously, Whitney Jammer had been straddling the line of only-fully-six-foot if he’s standing fully straight and upright, otherwise he’d always been just a little bit under. It’s made his chosen career and passion for basketball a little more difficult than it might otherwise be if he were taller. He’s still good. He’s still really good, but it’s the only thing keeping him from going over the edge of greatness.

So, when he’s imbued with the powers of creation magick itself, he does the first thing that comes to mind.

He makes himself taller.

It’s more normal feeling that he’d expect it to be, no great new awareness of the world around him from this new height of his, except for the fact that his friends are either actually shorter than him now - Evan - or even shorter than him than they already were - K and Sam - which is equal parts thrilling and strange.

Of course, not having a newfound awareness of the world also means that he forgets that he’s too tall for things that never would have gotten him into trouble before.

Doorframes are no longer automatic passes. He hits his head on more than a few as he’s adjusting to the change, until he finally gets to the point where he starts walking into rooms with his hand up on his forehead to automatically block any impact.

It’s a little embarrassing.

More than a little, really.

The clothes he’d been wearing when he’d completed his upgrade had grown as well, fitting his new form, but none of his other clothes fit anymore. He didn’t wear a lot of pants if he could help it, but his sweatpants are all a few inches above his ankles. All the new height isn’t stored in his legs, but based on how much shorter his shorts are, it definitely feels that way.

The shirts he had packed in his duffle bag and the ones back home all expose his midriff a little and somehow they’re a bit tighter on his shoulders, as if they’re a full several sizes too small now.

He has to buy a full new wardrobe, which gets him some looks of confusion from other shoppers when he goes to check-out, wearing ill-fitted clothes. It was this or the jumpsuit.

“Unexpected growth spurt, hon?” the kindly lady at the register asks with a look of understanding.

“Something like that,” Jammer says, a little red in the face. At least he’s found a way to keep his wings hidden from sight most of the time, so she’s not staring at them.

He has to relearn so much that he’s almost just teaching himself how to play basketball again. With newer legs and a different sized torso means slightly longer arms, the rest of his body developing as well to keep him proportional, and that means that even things as simple as picking something up and throwing it suddenly requires conscious effort.

It’s exhausting.

He wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. Not with the way Evan’s eyes darken when he stands over the man, tall enough to tower over him for once.

“Can you reach that for me?” Evan asks, the question light. He doesn’t gesture, but Jammer knows he’s referring to the box of dried noodles that are just out of reach in the very top cabinet. He’s braced against the counter, looking up at Jammer with dark, intense eyes.

“Sure thing,” Jammer says. He doesn’t break eye contact as he reaches up for it.

He hands them over. “Anything else,” he asks, licking his lips before he adds on, “big guy,” to the end of it.

Evan makes a soft, hungry noise for something more than the noodles.

Jammer obliges, dropping the box down to the counter to hold Evan’s face in his hand and tilt it up until it’s the perfect angle for a kiss.

Since he’s kissed Evan, he’s going to have to kiss K and Sam, too, or they’ll both get jealous, but that’s not exactly a hardship.

For now, he gets to enjoy how much Evan likes to be the smaller one and how much he likes being like this.

[brionbroadway]

“I know you only do things to distract yourself from how deeply sad you are that your dad is gone.”

So, it worked.

Freed the maidens, killed Kalvaxus. Restored Cassandra, defeated the Night Yorb. Passed his classes, excelled in extracurriculars. Whether vengeance, justice, or simple avoidance was the motivation, Riz had to succeed, and so he did. Maybe that was an advantage, but—

He still bristles when Fig complains about one of her two dads.

He still wishes his mom would talk about his dad more.

He still does not know how to talk to his dad about unimportant things.

He still doesn’t sleep, because he has nightmares. His dad in Hell, an image his brain knows is a lie, but his subconscious does not.  Kalina haunting him, taunting him, with no reform or redemption. His mom’s reluctant confession: I can’t lose you too.  

“There is a moment where Kipperlilly talks about being jealous.”

[queenofshenanigans]

WIP WEEKEND

WIP WEEKEND! Send me an emoji (or several! As many as you want!) and I'll write a bit of an on-going WIP. Then, I'll share a bit of what I wrote.

🤫 - Steddie Big Bang (this has undergone a major rehaul - still A/B/O, still sitcom-inspired, 2000s-era, canon-adjacent; I'll write 3 sentences, and share 3 sentences from ⚔️)

🛼 - Sapphic Mini Bang (90s Bubblescoop with background Stommy; I'll write 3 sentences, and share 3 sentences from 👩‍👩‍👦)

⚔️ - A Knight's Tale (with magic) AU, Ronance with side Steddie (and other various pairings), but it's 90% Wheeler sibling feels.

👩‍👩‍👦 - Post S4 Steve's mom comes back to Hawkins to stay and finds she has competition for Steve's parental figure. (Claudia Henderson/Liz Harrington, Wayne Munson/Scott Clarke, ft Karen Wheeler's Book Club, Sinclair Sunday Dinner, and other such things)

🐉 - Steve finds a dragon in his closet. (Steddie, ft Dustin's unsafe scienigal experiments)

🏰 - Shenanigans in Steve's attic thanks to his dad's latest experiment. aka the Steve's parents are good actually AU. aka the one where Steve's dad is played by Rick Moranis. (Pre-Steddie, ft Erica & Dustin, intended to be a drabble and/or short fic, but I'm outta control.)

🎲- And if you want to play a game, roll a d6 (or d12, d20, etc. and tell me the # you rolled and an emoji, and I'll write that # of sentences for the project!)

@strangerthingswritersguild make them write!

Sneak peak of Attic Shenanigans under the cut!

“...and stay out of the Castle, hon! Dad’s got something in the works, and it’s not stable yet.”

His mother’s last words before she’d rushed out the door after his father ran through Steve’s head on repeat, as he stared at the stairs that descended from the open hole in the ceiling.

“Fuck.”

That little shit must have gone up, even after Steve had told him the attic was off limits, and he'd taken Erica and Eddie with him. He should have known that little trio would spell nothing but trouble.

“Dustin! Get down here!”

There was no response.

“Erica! I’m serious. I’m revoking ice cream for life if you’re not down here in ten seconds.”

Still no response, but he'd expected one from Erica even less than he'd expected one from Dustin. Scoops Troop for life his ass.

“Munson, you’re an adult man. This isn’t funny. You shouldn't be up there!”

The Castle, as Steve’s father referred to the attic, had been off-limits if the elder Harrington wasn’t in residence as long as Steve could remember.

"Don't want you getting hurt, Sport," Chaz Harrington always said, pushing his glasses up his nose. He would ruffle Steve's hair, even after Steve had shot up several inches taller than his dad. "But when I'm here, you're welcome anytime. There's always room for my favorite assistant!"

When Dustin had asked if he, Eddie and Erica could source materials for some nerd project from Steve’s house because—and this was a direct quote-- “You’ve got a lot of shit, man. Lots of rich people shit that’ll be perfect”-- Steve had told him fine, but there were three places that were off limits: Steve’s room, Steve’s parents’ room, and, it couldn’t be overstated how much he’d stressed this last one: the attic.

In hindsight, he might as well have put up a sign for Dustin that said, Come right on up Dustin, off limits doesn’t extend to nosy nerds with no understanding of boundaries.

No pressure tags: @vthx @hbyrde36 @pearynice @just-my-latest-hyperfixation @tinytalkingtina @helpimstuckposting @machtaholic @felixir-of-moths @dreamwatch @eriquin @augustjustice @fuctacles and anyone else who would like to!

[cccakessslicemeee]

Edit woopsadoodle I forgot to add this earlier

----------

Also like domh fucking at me if my gramer sucks dick, this is a thought bubble and very much typed up at mach speed so I don't forget the idea entirely

It's an idea

-----------------

Anyway spoilers for fantasy high read at your own risk

Thank you

Greg. If you come at me about my punctuation I'd like to remind you we are no longer in English class and you can suck the lug nuts if a Peterbilt for all I care. This is unedited nonsense. Otherwise, love you man.

Waiting for a Riz who gets the big burnout and gives 0 fucks about doing anything and has to be forcibly scaped out of bed and assembled loving by his friends who wanna help him out of his funk but he's like... Nah this is fine guys. I just don't wanna do anything. Ever.

Adine is so stressed. This is not fucking cool. Who is THIS GOBLIN?

Fabian is EVEN MORE STRESSED breaks out a "where is my best friend?"

Riz looks him right in his goddamn soul. "Oh I'm sorry? Best friend? I'm pretty sure I was your least favorite and that's acceptable-"

"is this what THIS IS ABOUT?"

Riz rolls his eyes and snuggles himself back up in his blankets. Tail flicking like he wants to wave them all away and be done with this loud nonsense.

Fabian is horrified and kinda pissed Riz is even bringing it up. "Are you kidding me?! The Ball, COME the FUCK on! You know I already apologized and you took it the WRONG way!"

Riz is nearly, a perfect statue facing the wall except the occasional flicks of his tail.

Then again...is there a good way to handle being denied help of any kind, no matter how small when you yourself have been the fucking life line? Carrying the team to success and Fabian didn't even think to talk about it?

"I didn't think you would NEED it because you already had it handled. You're grades were already perfect."

Quietly fig chimes in. "I offered you a bardic that one time-"

Riz snaps up his face fixed on Fabian at first, eyes as sharp as daggers that slowly turn to Fig. There's a moment where they soften but only a little. Fig is...well she's weirdly fucked up. Her heart is golden but her execution is weird. She was the girl who carried around a dead fucking oyster for weeks because she thought it wasn't.

She's a mess. Might always be one but it doesn't feel right to bark at her when she has always been so generous with her talents. Much like butter Riz melts back into his bed.

"Yeah, you did Fig. Thank you."

She beams. One of those smiles that captures the essence of the sunlight and everything good in the world. It's almost enough to bust up the tension in the room. Almost.

"Can we not do this today? I don't want to do anything but catch up on sleep-"

"That's funny." Gorgug mentions. In a not haha funny sort of way but more of a like, huh that's weird this thing happened more than once. "You've said that before... Like yesterday. And the day before yesterday. And then the day before yesterday's yesterday?-"

"Hey Riz. You stink." Kristen states as plain as day. "Like really fucking bad man. When was the last time you showered? Or changed your clothing. I hate to be the one to say it but uh... You got a couple coffee stains on there so...look man. There isn't a nice way to say this so I guess I'm just gonna come out and say it, you are kinda gross dude. It's giving Gilear."

"That's a little rude-" Fig huffs.

"Well it's not wrong. Gilear seems to be keeping his curse under control for my mother or whatever but we've all seen the man pick a bean off his shirt and eat it. That's the vibe Riz. Nasty little sad elf man." Fabian says.

"Good! Fine. FANTASTIC! Maybe it'll give nasty goblin fuck off energy. Which would be great actually. If you all could fuck off to literally anywhere else. Isn't Basar's open?" The goblin suggests.

"Only if my best friend wants to come along."

"Who's that?" Riz muses. "Who the fuck could that be? Couldn't be me."

"So this is the THING that's keeping you wrapped up in filth?"

A heavy sigh works it's way through Riz's entire body as he sinks further into the mattress. Gods Fabian sucks so much ass sometimes. "I'm not in filth. It's just regular blankets and kinda crusty sweatshirt-"

"I was starting to believe you didn't own any other clothes." Kristen briefly mentions. Gorgug doesn't say a word but he definitely believed much the same beforehand anyway.

"Maybe I need a shower. Sue me. But nobody here is a problem. I'm fine." He insists although the sea of his friends faces don't agree with that thought at all, not a single one. "I'm fine. All is well and good. Go the fuck away."

"Jawbone seems to think that you might be self isolating and that can be healthy occasionally but as a long term solution you're just kind of-" Adine can barely start before Riz curses in the goblins tongue.

"Kind of rude to psychoanalyze a guy who wasn't even in the room. But whatever." He shrugs. "You can leave. I don't know how else to say it but I don't want anyone here-"

"On account of the self isolation?"

"Right the fuck now. Please! GO. Just get the fuck out!"

"The Ball, best friend-"

"Call me that one more fucking time Fabian and we are gonna have problem."

Fabian fumbles, words hardly form but they bounce around on his tongue for a moment before he can fix them together in a tangible way. "The Ball or Best friend? W-which one is it?"

"The Ball is fine! It's not like you know my name anyway."

"I do so!"

"Okay. What's my name Fabian. "

The elf stares off into the dance, his mind traversing over all the information it's collected over the years about his dead friends. He's in his head for far, far too long. Eventually he manages to find it and with it he snaps back into his body with a newfound confidence. "It's Riz." Proudly.

"What about my last name?"

Fabian is gone again, running up and down the library of his mind tearing through tomes and scrolls that litter the center of his collective intelligence. It's honestly, quite fucking sad. He returns to himself with that over zealous confidence. Riz is unimpressed.

"Riz Gukgak. That is your name!"

"Wow." Sarcastically Riz finds the energy to slow clap at Fabian's herculean efforts. "I'm so important you had to think so long and hard about it. Thank you for making an effort."

The silence that fills the air comes in thick and sticky catching everyone's tongues and holding them hostage for the foreseeable future. Well talking seems impossible but Fig retreats to the safety of her bass guitar strumming up a little number to kill some of the silence. It's not enough.

"....I'm..." Kristen finds a frog in her throat when she starts to speak. It dives in deeper when she starts again so she changes her tune taking a moment to set herself on Riz's bed putting her hand on his shoulder giving it a squeeze. It's just easier to default into her usual bullshit, she hates herself for that. "You smell like an egg fart."

"Kristen what the fuck." Adine hisses.

"It's true. I eat a lot of eggs. I would know." Kristen declares.

"Why?" Gorgug asks, regrettably of course.

"Because eggs are a good source of protein and I need protein for my muscles." Kristen flexes her other arm. The muscle is indeed there, bulging as they do when pushed to bulge. Of course the cleric would have big ass muscles, anything to not focus on the cleric shit.

"Don't they also have a high amount of cholesterol?" Adine mentions.

"Oh that's some hogwash." Fabian rolls his eye. "People have been eating eggs for literally ever now, they're fine."

"Doesn't it depend? Dr. Fantasy Oz says-" Gorgug starts but promptly stops when Fabian gives him a look. "He is a doctor though?"

"No not really. It's just he's good enough to be on T.V but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a doctor who can help people. Anyone can say, oh I'm Dr. Blah blah blah and I specialize in whatever I specialize in- but that doesn't mean they went to school or even had any experience in their field. T.V tends to be bullshit." With absolute certainty the Oracle preaches.

"Oh. Huh..." Gorgug shrugs.

"You gonna get the fuck out now?" Riz asks.

"Can we make a deal?" Kristen proposes. "If we leave will you get a shower? I keep saying it but it's true. You smell bad."

"And you're the one grabbing a hold of me right now?"

"Even if you smell like egg farts I'll hug you. But you should really shower."

"So the deal, I'm assuming is you want me to shower and you'll leave?"

Kristen nods. "Precisely."

"....fine. I'll shower. Leave."

"Nope. We won't leave until we hear the shower turn on."

"That's a little weird."

"yeah well, you didn't leave us much choice."

And then that's like the first part of getting Riz out of his funk. Assaulting him with self care and slicing through his walls to see how his heart ticks.

Merely a thought or ten??

[lucy-frostblade]

femslash feb day 12- blanket

Ayda was fast asleep after a couple rounds of Never Have I Ever- Fig’s idea to get to know each other. The two were laying down side to side, Fig having stolen a pillow from Fabian. The blankets were mostly used for the Moon Haven, which Fig normally didn’t mind, as the Bad Kids tended to sleep close together, especially after Leviathan. 

Fig felt jittery, too excited to sleep even though her eyes wanted desperately to close. 

She could hear soft humming from a part of the Moon Haven blanket fort, and distant music playing from outside. It was late, as far as she could tell, most of the party was asleep. 

Fig inched closer to Ayda, wishing for a blanket, for some weight on her body, something to make her feel safe. 

As if she heard, Ayda shifted closer, lifting one wing to cover herself and Fig.

Fig hid a smile, despite being the only one around, and gently interlaced hers and Ayda’s fingers. Ayda huffed, curling her body closer to Fig. 

She closed her eyes, letting the distant humming and warmth from Ayda’s wing lull her to sleep.

ao3

taglist: @blueskiesandstarrynights @disdoorted-crows @thedragonemperess @genuine-possum @dapper-nahrwhale @starstruckodysseys @automaticsoulharmony