#edit: i looked closer and i can do better than that smh

[cloudy-rom]

i realized i had never posted art of canon rotom dex

reference:

[coccinelle-et-chaton]

hi i come bearing humanitarian relief from optygami

so like, yikes huh?

I didn't expect all the angst and that last scene absolutely DESTROYED me in the worst possible way. Anywhoo, I was so unwell that I dreamt a follow-up. This is a new level of brainrot. So, without further ado welcoome to another edition of

bullet point fics that i'll probably never write but I need to get out of my system: post-Optygami edition

After Optygami, Chat pretends he's ok but he's actually quite sad that Ladybug didn't need him to defeat the Akuma. Even more so, that instead of going for him, she went for Rena and Carapace.

lol Milk Bar scene 2.0.

He tries to hide it, but unlike other things that make him sad like oh idk, his entire family life, this is new. And he can't hide it because Ladybug was the one person that never failed to make him feel needed and wanted.

So, he's at school and he's looking sad and Marinette notices. She kicks into Supporting Friend Mode the way she's done with Zoé, Juleka etc. and asks him what's wrong. Adrien at first doesn't want to say, but Marinette gives her one of her Motivational Speeches™️ and convinces him.

Adrien says that it's hard to explain, but he feels like someone really loves is pushing him to the side and he feels like he is not needed anywhere.

Marinette will very much Not Have That

So she starts telling him all the good things she sees in him and how everyone, especially her, is lucky to have him around. And girl ain't even blushing or stuttering.

"Adrien you're always so kind and compassionate to everyone, you always make time for us even though your Father is so strict with you. You're always willing to give everyone the benefit of doubt, even when they don't deserve it. You're a great friend"

Adrien high key is tearing up btw

And my boy is so starved for affection that he's just. He falls for her immediately??? He never realized Marinette saw him like that??

He feels so acknowledged???????

also Nino sees and he reassures him as well.

"Whoever this friend is can go take a hike if they don't value you, dude. smh I'll throw hands for you."

appreciate the i r o n y

THEN...

Alya figures out Adrien is Chat Noir and she has that oh no moment. Without telling Mari why, she is ADAMANT that she tells Chat immediately about everything that has been going on with the guardianship.

"Trust me Marinette. Just trust me. You NEED to tell Chat about these things."

Marinette confesses she had not told him because she knows he's going to be very angry at her that she relied on someone else in her hour of need and she's scared she might lose him because lesser things have made him doubt himself to the point of returning the ring.

"Alya you don't understand," she says crying. "I know him. I know this is is going to hurt him so much."

Alya, out of curiosity, asks why she came to her and not Chat when things got too heavy and Marinette explains the incident in Chat Blanc and how absolutely scared to the bone she is that it might happen again. Not because she wouldn't be able to fix it, but because she couldn't bear seeing Chat being hurt like that again.

Eventually Marinette gathers the courage to tell Chat Noir and of course he's sad, heartbroken, angry and no matter how much Ladybug tries to apologize or reassure him that she trusts him, he simply can't.

Chat says he understands that she needed to lean on someone and it's her right to choose who that is.

"Don't worry m'lady, I understand. But... I need some time off. After all, something tells me you'll make do even if i'm not there."

BIG OUCH 😃

Marinette is devastated and recognizes her mistake and understands she is in no position to ask Chat to be there but that doesn't help the fact she's absolutely heartbroken.

As a civilian, Adrien notices Marinette is sad and talks to her. Mari cries bc she says she made a terrible mistake and she managed to really hurt one of the friends she loves the most and is scared she lost them for good.

Adrien consoles her and tells her she did the right thing by coming clean to them, and that she should have faith in her friend bc "friends fight sometimes Mari, it's normal, right? They will come around. You were honest with them, and that's what matters. They'll appreciate it eventually."

"Besides, e-even if they don't... I-i'll always be here for you"

"And if they don't, I'll personally go and punch your friend in the face"

aaaahhhh adrinette fluff.

And so, while ladynoir is crumbling to pieces, adrinette is like, VERY close to becoming canon but bc of what happened in ladynoir they refrain from showing their romantic feelings but are like, "No way I'm making the same mistakes again" so they become each other's closest confident (sans the whole Miraculous thing of course)

Adrien starts telling Mari about "this friend" and the problems in his family. Marinette start tellings him about "these responsibilities" and "this friend I have" and they unintentionally coach the other through how to proceed to heal the ladynoir partnership.

Simultaneously, Adrien's help lets Marinette understand how very much she loves Chat and him taking the break from Ladybug's company and replacing it with Marinette, lets him know how head over heels he had been for her all this time = tada! reverse love square.

They become super, super close friends. Like deadass ppl think they're dating (but what else is new smh)

"Ha ha, no. We're Just Very Good Friends™️" *they say as they're literally holding hands or snuggling on a bench*

Eventually Chat Noir comes out of his little break and Ladybug and him meet up to talk and it's like, an ugly crying sobfest ahaha :)

LB apologizes again and begs him to forgive her, she promises she'll do better and she'll show him how much she need him and--

"M'lady, stop. I already forgave you. It's all water under the bridge so--

"No! No it's not, because I can't believe I made you think you're dispensible. Chat Noir you're my partner and you'll always be my partner and I treated you like you weren't but I just... I couldn't tell you, Chaton. I couldn't--"

"But why? What couldn't you tell me, m'lady?"

LB breaks down and explains the Chat Blanc incident to him

"I was so scared. I was so afraid for you and so terrified that I wouldn't be able to bring you back. I'd never be able to forgive myself if one day I cannot bring you back, Chat. I want to know who you are but if knowing puts you at risk, then I won't do it. I love you more than I want to know your identity."

ajgkfahgfak gajfkk UGLY SOBBING.

"Then... that means we cannot be together... ever?" Chat asks and his voice is cracking because he's doing all humanly possible not to cry too.

"Not until Hawkmoth is defeated. I promise minou, as soon as we defeat him, we can be together. In the meantime, we have to keep the secret."

Chat Noir gently wipes off the tears from Ladybug and steps closer to her and goes "Then, m'lady, if you'll allow it, I'd like us to keep one more secret."

He leans down slowly, to give LB a chance to say no if she doesn't want it to happen, but she doesn't stop him. They kiss.

"This one stays between us," Chat mutters and then smirks at her. "See you in the next Akuma, m'lady."

The end.

[minhothebunny]

Detective Lee - Chapter Eight

(A/N: I've realized that when the pov is in the third pov, I say "she" or "her" instead of "you". For this chapter, I'll be using "you" and "your" instead, and I'd appreciate it if you tell me which you prefer!)

THIRD POV.

Ever since Felix's first time at the boba café, he's been coming in to talk to you a lot. He even asked when your working hours are, and you found that he's only ever been showing up on your workdays. At first, you didn't believe this and came to Yuta for confirmation where he told you that "he's never gotten an Australian customer".

Over the days, you and Felix have been getting much closer. You felt that it was too good to be true: a hot Aussie wanting to be around you and even walking you home every day. He did everything Eunwoo did: helps you clean, offers to take over when you're overwhelmed with too many customers, and even walks you home. For some reason, you've been a lot more comfortable around Felix than you have been around Eunwoo. You're not too sure why. Maybe it's their vibes?

A ding from your phone shook you out of your thoughts. (A/N: Lix🐥 is what you have him as, and queen😪✊ is what he has you as.)

lix🐥 oi, you awake? Read at 8:39 pm.

queen😪✊ yup

lix🐥 you better be because I'm taking you on a ramen date :P

Your heart raced at the word date and your cheeks heated up. Clearing your throat, you managed to type a quick reply.

queen😪✊ a d-date?

lix🐥 you stutter over text? idk whether to thinks that's cute or cringy-

queen😪✊ um

lix🐥 but it's you we're talking about, so it's definitely adorable ;) (A/N: ew bye I cringed)

Your eyes widened at the flirty comment. Before you could reply, though, Felix sent another text.

lix🐥 you better be ready right now

queen😪✊ right now? why now

Before you could wait for Felix to reply, you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"Ahh!" You turned around to see Felix laughing.

"Felix! That's not funny! I almost got a heart attack!" He didn't reply, now on the floor with tears in his eyes.

"How did you even get in here? I didn't give you a key!"

"I didn't need one; your front door was unlocked. You know, you should start locking your front door. What if you get kidnapped, and I'm not there to save you?"

"You wouldn't be able to come in and save me if the door is locked," you deadpanned.

"I'll bust the door down with my guns."

Your eyes widened comically, "You have guns on you?"

"Mhm, every day. You wanna see them?"

Before you could say no, Felix took off his jacket, flexing his arms.

"You see these guns? Could fight five motherfuckers at once."

You facepalmed, "Guns? I don't see any guns. Besides, you wouldn't even be able to kill a spider if I asked you to."

"Hey! Are you trying to get me killed? I can kill any bug, but a spider? You've lost your mind. It'll fucking eat me." (A/N: Idc what y'all say, spiders are terrifying. Yeah, they're smaller than me but so are piranhas and other ugly bitches.)

You rolled your eyes, going into the bathroom to get changed while Felix sat on a chair near your bed. Quickly getting out, you walked towards your vanity to put on some makeup and do your hair. Right as you were about to pick up your makeup brush, Felix came up behind you, slowly back hugging you and taking the brush out of your hand.

"Nope, none of that. You're not about to cake your face; you're already gorgeous."

You blushed, looking down. Felix put his hand on your jaw, making you look up at your reflection. "You're stunning. I don't ever want to see you putting on makeup when you're going out with me. A date is about me seeing you, not the makeup. You honestly don't need it."

You were touched by his words. They seemed so genuine, and the close proximity between you two made you weak in the knees. You looked into Felix's eyes through the mirror to see his soft, loving gaze staring right back. You sat in the comfortable silence until, "Felix?" He hummed in response, not taking his eyes off you. "Can I at least put on some lip gloss?"

Laughing, he slowly let go of you. For a second, you felt sad when the warmth that was once protecting you faded away. That was until Felix turned you around, your chests pressed together. Putting his thumb and index finger underneath your chin, he lifted your face to look at him. He was so close to you you thought he was going to kiss you. Felix brought his face closer to yours, and you closed your eyes, feeling something soft against your lips. Your brows furrowed in confusion: these weren't Felix's lips. You opened your eyes to find that Felix was putting your lip gloss on for you, and you internally cursed, looking away. (A/N:🤡)

Felix chuckled, twisting the cap of the tube, "You're blushing. What did you think was going to happen," he teased.

"N-nothing," you said, still looking away.

Smiling, Felix placed both his hands on either side of your face and leaned in, pressing a quick, soft kiss to your forehead. Your eyes widened in shock, your feet stuck in place. Felix then pulled away and held your hand. "Come on! Are you just gonna stand there, or will you get moving?" You didn't reply, instead moving your head slowly to meet his eyes.

Felix giggled, dragging you out the front door and into the nearest convenience store where you ate to your heart's content, not worried about how much you were eating in front of him. _________________________ Looks like we've got a flirt on our hands ;) Writing texting scenarios are so tedious plz😭✋ somebody remind me that this is a Minho ff before I make them fuck-

Would you prefer for me to continue using "you" and "your" or do you want me to go back to "her" and "she"? All my readers so far are female, but what about enbys- if you are an enby, please comment, and I'll edit everything to be gender-neutral!

What do you guys think so far? Do you prefer Eunwoo or Felix?

This chapter was on the longer side so thank you to those that read through it all! I hope you guys like it. If you do, please vote and comment. Thank you for reading! -Nina <3

Edit: smh you were supposed to get this 6 hours ago but my dumbass brother kicked the internet router🙄

[tartagilicious]

Oohh interesting prompt! Can we have theo x mc with prompt no 22? A smutty one please and thank you 👀👀

P22: “Maybe I should leave you like this, that way anyone who wanted to use you could have a go with you. Would you like that?”

I’m writing this late at night, and let me just tell you, I used to be so much better at this? like late night writing was a breeze since there was nothing to distract me and it never needed much editing, but now i’ll literally go back the morning after and see that sentences are missing whole ass words smh. I almost published this with ‘fire to the fuel’ instead of ‘fuel to the fire’ 😔

sorry this took a bit~

—

Pissing off Theo is never a good idea.

Well, it never has been, and you’ve known that practically since the day you’d set foot in mansion. But there’s still something oddly exhilarating about doing it when you’re fairly aware of the outcome.

The fact that the man is also your lover happens to make it even better, too — because knowing what your baseless teasing is capable of makes you feel like you’re capable of taking the world in the palm of your hand.

Though, it’s not like you’re ever in control for long. Your world can come crashing down just as easily as you can take someone else’s, and Theo is very much aware of that.

One particular night out at the bar, you must have said a few too many risky things, provoked him a bit too many times; and closer to the end, he makes the executive decision that the tables need to be turned. It apparently can’t wait, either, seeing as the way he pulls you into the deserted hallway is much more abrasive than usual.

“___,’ He says your name so sternly that it sends an unexpected shiver through you. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

You only dawdle in front of him with your arms crossed, your pride not allowing you to answer truthfully. “What do you mean?”

The switch in his eyes is immediate, like the drop of an enamel pin on the hardwood floors you both stand on.

He then takes unabashed steps closer to you until you’re backed up against the wall, his gaze daring you to say something else — anything else.

And you, obviously, knowing full well what you should do, do the opposite.

“What are you going to do about it?” You ask quietly.

When Theo finally kisses you, it’s with every ounce of fierceness that you’d tried your hardest to draw out. And with every ounce of it, he subconsciously tells you that you’ll grow to regret your escapades soon enough.

You try to get across that you won’t back down just as strongly, but before you can even finish the thought, you admittedly begin to lose yourself in the way your tongue mingles with his — the way his hands place over your body, and ultimately, the way he can make you forget anything just by the way he kisses you.

Lips curled up into a slight smile, your fingers move up to tangle in the muss of hair by the nape of his neck.

But, when it seems like you’ve both gotten what you want, Theo still opts to push further. He makes the already heated kiss somehow more passionate, not to mention the way he holds you almost has you about melting in his arms.

His skilled mouth moves along your jaw before you know it, eliciting a quiet groan from you. You can feel him smirking as he begins to mark up your skin, but you don’t say a word. It’s sometimes best to let him take the control you want nothing more to rip away. 

You close your eyes as his tongue runs across your skin, your stomach aching with pleasure at just the thought of the feeling of his bite. He must sense this, though, because he moves back to kiss below your ear with the same damned smile you had imagined in your head. 

“Is this what you wanted?” He whispers this to you, and for a few moments, the only sounds that fill the room are your individual breaths. 

You can only nod. 

He kisses you senselessly, seeming to already know the perfect way to get your knees trembling without even touching you. You admittedly admire his abilities, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have your own. 

Tugging on his hair, you pull him back to reality with a low gasp. It’s a battle of control that you, as much as it pains you to admit, have little chance of winning if Theo at any point decides to take things seriously. 

Yet, you still try anyway. 

You take his face tenderly in your hands and kiss him to the best of your ability, hoping the unorthodox mix of intimacies will throw him off. But, predictably and much to your dismay, it only adds more fuel to the fire. His fire, that you have very, very mixed feelings about nurturing. 

Theo hums against your lips, the tightening of his grip around your waist clearly showing his enjoyment. You don’t hate that he’s enjoying it, though, because you are, too. 

“Alright,” His low mumbles ring out gently through your skin, sending a small yet plentiful wave of pleasure through you. “Is that enough for you, hm?”

Your eyes flutter shut with every word out of his mouth, and only Theo’s hand on your waist beginning to travel down makes them fly open again. Brief panic runs through you, at the realisation of what’s about to happen. 

Really, your intentions for the night were far from innocent, but you had honestly only planned to get a healthy make-out session in before the night ended. Now, with your lover’s hand resting anticipatingly on your upper thigh, it’s clear that it might not be just that. 

“Theo—”

You start to say something to him. Maybe about waiting to go any further until you arrive back at the mansion. Maybe about your true aim for the night — but you forget all about the moment his fingers begin to sneak upwards. Sucking in a sharp breath, you reach out to grasp his wrist and only allow him to move so far before his eyes flicker up to meet yours. 

“What,” His voice is slightly mocking, but you look past it to the desire in his eyes. It’s thick and heavy, so much that it’s hard to let go of when he starts speaking again. “Was this not your goal, hondje?”

You stay quiet. 

“That’s just too bad~” He chastises you unapologetically with a low click of his tongue, his hand delving completely in-between your thighs without even so much as a warning. It catches you off guard so much that you can’t help but jolt when his fingers find your thinly covered clit, much less a low moan when he begins to pleasure you right there in the hallway for anyone to see. 

The aspect of the situation is unbelievably risky, but at the same time so thrilling that you find yourself not caring. Because in those moments, all you can focus on is Theo. 

You had purposely chosen to not wear much, only a light pair of cotton panties, and that much is obvious by the lewd sound of his fingers working around in the otherwise silent hall. Still, if Theo keeps up what he’s doing, the hallway surely won’t be silent for much longer. You already have your arms wrapped around his shoulders, as well as your face smashed into his shoulder, but the immense pleasure you feel only tightens in your stomach. 

At that point, it’s clear that the power is no longer in your hands. 

As if sensing the switch in your emotions, a short chuckle escapes over your ear before he pulls your panties down the farthest he can to still be out of sight, which is to the bottom of your already short skirt. 

You don’t protest, but it’s in that moment that you realise how worked up you had really gotten. At this point, your arousal is almost completely dripping down your thighs, not to mention the irregular weight of your panties themselves. 

But you don’t have time to pay attention to that anymore, as because Theo’s barrier is gone, he now has free will to do whatever you’ll let him. And, spoiler alert, that doesn’t rule out much. 

He starts by resting his chin on your shoulder, and snickering in such a way that if he weren’t between your legs, you’d prefer to wipe it away completely. Though, you aren’t surprised. You might have actually been even more surprised had Theo not stopped to tease you a bit along the way. 

As expected, his fun is cut short fast.

He starts by dragging his fingers, tantalisingly slow, over your folds to collect the essence that had since accumulated there. It’s obvious that he sees this as a game, but your trembling form can do little to stop him from playing it out. 

Then, without warning, his actions speed up. You have an even harder time adjusting to it, never minding the pace he goes, and end up biting down on your lip so hard that you swear it bleeds. 

Frustrated tears make it to your eyes as his fingers dip into you, the adventurous action’s sounds filling the hallway and bringing a bright red flush to you cheeks. Theo doesn’t seem to notice, though, and if he does, he says nothing.

You gasp under your breath. “Theo—”

He pumps in and out of you at an inhumane pace that has you jamming your face into his shoulder and breathing hard as to not make a sound. But, you can tell that it makes him proud to see, so he doesn’t give you the liberty of catching your breath. 

“Theo!” You cry softly, your hands that are wrapped under his shoulders only gripping tighter.

“Maybe I should leave you like this,” He whispers, his voice lined with uncouth joy. “That way, anyone who wanted to use you could have a go with you. Would you like that?” 

His small smirk is evident against the bare skin of your neck, but you do nothing about it. So, you just shake your head, not feeling confident enough in your own voice at the moment to speak up.

Instead, you muster up your strength and reach down to take his wrist in your hand, manoeuvring him to move even faster than before. He takes the liberty to do what he wants with his fingers, though, bending them to reach even deeper. 

You kiss him to stifle your loudest moan yet, and when you finally cum, you’re left there breathing hard. 

He hummed, his tone teasing. “I didn’t predict that, hondje.”

“I guess you don’t predict a lot of things.”

And with that, you pull him to the side and lead him into the bathroom, hoping that now, your goals really are one and the same.

[callioope]

2019 Favorites

Rules: Time to love ourselves! Choose 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, arts, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2019. Tag as many creators as you want to spread the love!

tagged by the awesome @theputterer​! thank you!

HA, well, TBH I saw this meme going around and I was like oh no if someone tags me I’m not going to have anything to list!

It’s true I barely published anything in 2019 -- only one thing on AO3 -- but I did work on a few unpublished projects. So after some serious scrounging, I thought why not share some sneak peeks at what I’ve got cooking in addition to the few items I did publish!

First, what I actually published:

"I hope my love was someone else’s solid ground”

Firelight flickers across the faces around the campsite and the shadows press a little closer. She’s trying not to stare (to make her staring obvious), but as her gaze sweeps over friends it always settles on him. She keeps measuring the distance, counting the steps past Bodhi and Kay or the other way ‘round, past Baze and Chirrut, to the opposite, furthest corner of tonight’s makeshift home. Always when she finds his eyes, they fall a little farther from her.

She sighs and gets up. Waiting never suited her.

I don’t think an album has ever resonated with me as much as Sara Bareilles’ Amidst the Chaos, or a song as much as “Orpheus.” It’s just perfection. The moment I heard it, I thought of Jyn and Cassian, but this song also feels special to me personally as I’ve struggled with OCD and anxiety and have (finally) been going to therapy for it. It felt cathartic to tell a story about healing through Jyn and Cassian, and I just really loved the prose in this one. I haven’t posted it to AO3 yet because I was thinking about expanding it a little first, and then I never got around to it.

Learning Curve  - Chapter 4: Scarif

“You know,” she says, sliding onto his lap, “there are better ways to show your surrender. If you want me to stop talking about work…” She leans down and demonstrates, and kriff, he tastes like the sunlight dancing on his lips, warm and sweet and happy.

“I love listening to you,” he murmurs when she finally pulls away.

She’s just sitting, safe in his arms, but when he looks at her like that, everything just falls out beneath her, and she closes her eyes and grips his shirt and burrows her head against the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Months ago, when she first stepped foot on the tarmac outside the temple, she’d thought she’d spend a semester and go back to Rudrig, that her life would continue on at its boring, lonely pace, that work would perpetually consume her. She’d never suspected she’d run into Cassian (and thank the Force for that; if she’d known he’d be here, she might not have signed up in the first place, might have preferred to avoid the risk of running into him and facing the embarrassment she’d created all those years ago—and she never would have had the chance to move past it).

She’d had no idea what kind of happiness awaited her, how close a call it had been, how she might never have known the joy of eliciting Cassian’s hard-won smile, the anticipation of an imminent kiss, or the simple satisfaction of quiet companionship and unassuming acceptance.

This took entirely longer than it should have, but I was very glad to finally finish it. It was definitely a lot of fun to imagine a galaxy with no Empire, where Palpatine was defeated before he could enact any of his crueler schemes, and to see what this meant for Jyn and Cassian as well as Lyra and Galen. It was also a challenge -- lots of moving chess pieces to account for -- so thank you to my beta and brainstormer @allatariel​!

I do have a couple regrets: namely, that I didn’t split chapter 4 into two parts (it’s just so long! I suppose I could still split it...) and that I hadn’t watched Rebels yet, so I didn’t get a chance to imagine what kind of life the Ghost crew would have had. Maybe someday? 

The Stakes of Star Wars: whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal

As a writer, I frequently struggle with plot. Is it believable? Is it surprising? Is it exciting? Sometimes, it feels like plot is supposed to be what makes a story interesting. What makes for a cool adventure? The prevailing mindset seems to be: how high can you raise the stakes?

But I think over the last few years of writing, I’ve learned something important about the kinds of stories I want to read, and therefore write.

The stakes are important, but only for what they mean to the character.

It has to be personal.

It’s no secret that I hated TLJ. I wasn’t impressed with TROS, either. I think it’s easy (and, admittedly, cathartic) to point blame at one or the other and to write a laundry list of “things didn’t work for me” (which I did for TLJ -- though I only finished and published part of it). When it came to the final installment, I thought it was more fruitful for me to analyze the core of what didn’t work for me overall. I won’t deny there are things I did love about the sequel trilogy, but as a whole, trilogy-spanning story it really fails for me, and this is my attempt at finding out why.

Now, onto the unpublished projects!!!

Untitled “You’ve Got Mail” AU

Somewhere in a far corner of the Outer Rim, off the far reaches of the Perlemian Trade Route, past Felucia, near the Tion Hegemony, a small planet spins on its axis, and a new day starts.

As the sun rises, it conveys a whole palette of colors: rich reds bleeding into the purple and indigo of the fading night, gold light gleaming over the flat fields of blue-green grass spreading out in all directions.

Nothing stirs but a gentle breeze, racing along the grass like a wave; to the naked eye, this area of the planet remains entirely uninhabited.

And that is the point.

To a careful observer, someone with an eye for it, the grassy flatlands and the gentle rolling hills of Skuhl hide something valuable and just as beautiful as its surface. Such an observer could find it: the narrow crack in the ground; the cramped ten-meter vertical descent into the jagged earth; the winding, sloped passage that eventually blooms into a split-level cavern that might fit a squadron of X-Wing fighters—if they had a way in.

As it is, that cavern houses something else: the Skuhl rebel cell.

And in a little area partitioned off by a series of columns, stalactites, and stalagmites on one side and a makeshift counter, sink, and shelving on the others, Jyn Erso wakes to the sound of the caf machine whirring.

Groaning, she lifts her head from the table and blinks in the soft light of a lantern hanging off the shelf behind her.

“Good morning,” Hadder says, from next to the raucous caf machine. “You’ve got a message.”

AHHH I forgot how much I love this AU. I haven’t opened this in a few months. YEAH, I’ve got some purple prose going there, but I was really trying to imitate the opening of You’ve Got Mail, how it pans down into NYC and such. I got really stuck on this trying to write Jyn and Cassian’s correspondence (the whole point TBH, smh). Otherwise, this is all plotted out (again, thanks to the amazing @allatariel​‘s help) and I just need to write it. Currently has 4,294 words.

Fencing AU (Working title is probably “En Garde”)

Jyn holds a blade for the first time when she is eight years old. It’s shiny and makes a fun clang when she smacks Bodhi’s sword. She’s been watching him from the corner, while she waits for Bodhi’s lesson to finish and for Mama and Papa to pick them up from the YMCA. Saw doesn’t teach children, he already explained. Saw wants serious students. 

So Jyn watches Bodhi stand in front of the mirror covering the far wall and watches him hold his blade in different positions (four, six, seven, eight — she heard Saw name each one). She watches him flick his wrist and smack Saw’s blade (beat, she repeats in her head) and watches him turn his wrist and push Saw’s blade away when he attacks first (parry).

She watches this go on for an hour, and afterwards, when Saw looks away to talk to some of the parents, she knicks a spare blade and a spare mask and dares Bodhi to fight her. 

It doesn’t take long for one of the parents to point her out (adults can never be trusted). But she doesn’t see it at first, too busy stabbing Bodhi, or trying to — she’s sure she’s hit him plenty on his arm, because she’s reenacted that laser sword fight from Space Clash enough times to know how it’s done.

“Jyn,” Saw says behind her, “What are you doing?”

She whirls around, staring up at Saw through the grated black mesh of the mask. He’s looking down at her, arms crossed, and he sounds mad. But she doesn’t look away or back down, even though he’s really tall and sometimes the other kids get scared when he’s angry. (She doesn’t. She’s not scared of anything.)

“Fencing,” she says. 

Saw stares back at her for forever, and she gives back an eternity because she plays this game all the time. She can win.

What she doesn’t know then, but Saw does, is that she will win.

He shakes his head. “Not like that,” Saw says.

“But I can fence,” Jyn says, “I can be serious.”

“Serious fencers,” Saw says, “aim for the heart.”

That stops her next words. She glances at Bodhi for a second, who shrugs, and then back at Saw. 

“Ready?” he says, gesturing for them to continue. “Allez!”

Oh, if I had all the time to write, I would finish this before the Olympics... I guess I still have half a year. Maybe it can still happen!! As it is, I don’t actually have much more of this written (just plotted). I fenced for five years at the local YMCA, plus just a little in college (sadly my university didn’t have a team, so I could only fence when I was able to get back home). I miss it dreadfully. Every now and then I dabble in researching clubs down here to fence, but it is so expensive and time consuming. So much to do! So little time! So I thought I’d just write about it to scratch that itch. Basically the gist is that Jyn is an Olympic fencer, and she fences foil (because that was my weapon and I’m incredibly biased) while Cassian fences epee. Aaaand look at that, now I’m rambling on about fencing. (I’d give y’all lessons if I could, do not get me started) On to the next! 

Nat Geo AU

“You seem quiet,” Cassian says quietly, still reading what she’d refer to as a tentative draft of their piece.

She shrugs.

His eyes flick up to her face just briefly and he misreads the regret on her face. “Do you miss it? Your time with Saw?”

She’s startled into a laugh. “You mean war correspondence?”

His nod is almost imperceivable, but he knows she pays close attention.

“No,” she says, perplexed.

“Not as much action out here.”

He’s worried she’s bored. As if she could be, at his side. “I almost had to wrestle a crocodile for your life yesterday.”

He grants her just the tiniest crook of a smile. “I was safe in the boat.”

“That croc was sizing you up,” she says, thinking of a large crocodile that they’d thought had been resting serenely on the river bank, before it suddenly splashed into the water right next to their boat, towards Cassian’s perch at the railing. “I saw the glint in its eye. I know the look.”

“I’m sure you do.” He snorts. Then he gestures towards her pad, where he’s highlighted a phrase. “This one — for the headline.”

She takes it and reads what he’s chosen. “You know it depends on what Kay likes.”

“He’ll like that one.”

The premise is that Jyn and Cassian work for National Geographic (or rather, Rogue Geographic) and are assigned to cover a conservation project headed by Ezra Bridger and the crew aboard the Ghost. I’ve only managed to write an intro scene about Jyn and Cassian finishing up their previous project (entirely, entirely self-indulgent and based on my honeymoon). I was hoping to finish and publish this in January, buuuut I got way distracted by an epic post-war fic that @allatariel​ and I are working on, which I think we may have started plotting in 2019, though I’m not sure -- and at any rate, the NatGeo brings us to six so you’ll just have to wait for the next word on that ;) 

 WELP THAT’S IT. 

Thanks for reading! 

TAGGING: Anyone who reads this and wants to do it. Yeah, you. You who were hoping you got tagged? I’m tagging you. You’re it!

[hoyoungy]

Americano - Woozi/Jihoon (I)

genre: fluff, coffee shop au summary: the cute and clumsy barista that made a bitter jihoon smile at 6:30 in the morning with an equally-bitter americano word count: 759 a/n: something cute and short for my child, isn’t he just so?? precious?? i love him and i love writing for svt sm!!! edit: smh i made it into a mini series sorry

cappuccino (part ii), masala chai (part iii), espresso shot (part iv), decaf (part v)

‘Tired’ was the only word that Jihoon could formulate so early this morning. He stayed up all night writing and composing that he didn’t realize by the time he was ready to sleep, it was nearly four in the morning, just two hours before he had to wake up again. While the other members were busy getting ready at the salon, Jihoon desperately needed a pick-me-up at the only coffee shop open.

The Coffee Studio was the name and Jihoon scrunched his nose. No matter where he went, he was always at a studio. He couldn’t even look at the word studio without being tired. He walked in, anyways, too tired to care.

“Good morning!” A chipper voice chimed.

Jihoon’s eyebrows rose curiously, wondering if he should be annoyed or amused that someone could be so energetic before the sun has risen. He could see you rustling around behind the counter, but couldn’t get a good look at your face. Already knowing what he wanted, he walked up to the counter and patiently waited for you to take his order.

“Oh, sorry -” you started. When you popped up to meet him, you were stunned silent. Jihoon watched the smile you had on your face drop immediately into a gaping frown. After a moment, he could practically feel the awkward in the air. Was he ugly, or something? Did the stylists mess up his hair?

But oh, no, that was definitely not it. It was the exact opposite, really. The stranger that stood in front of you made your breath hitch in your throat because he was so…

Cute.

“U-Uh,” you stuttered. “S-Sorry.”

“You said sorry already,” Jihoon stated.

“Right, sorry.” You mentally slapped your face. “What can I get for you?”

“Americano, please.” The bluntness in his tired voice made you even more nervous, if you even could be.

“And your name?”

The customer gave you a stranger look while his eyes scanned the empty cafe and you could see why you sounded stupid for asking. It wasn’t necessary to give you his name, but he figured you were just as tired as he was and you were just following routine. It didn’t make it any less embarrassing for you, though.

“Jihoon.”

Cute name for a cute boy, you thought as you scribbled it on his cup. “Coming right up!”

Jihoon watched you curiously as you prepared the espresso machine. He was more curious about the machine, always wanting one since he started composing, but figured it was too much maintenance. His attention shifted over to you when you clumsily dropped a few espresso pods on the floor that you had to toss. He felt his lips twitch into an amusing smile. Only three minutes of being in this coffee shop and he could already tell how accident-prone you were, which was funny, really, since an Americano is probably the easiest drink to make.

Five wasted espresso shots later, you shakily placed the cup in front of him. “Order for Jihoon.”

The warm cup felt inviting in his hands and he instantly was in a better mood. He dropped a few dollars into your tip jar, equating to the price of another Americano, and your eyes widened.

“For all of the espresso pods you dropped,” he teased.

“Ah, thanks,” you muttered, avoiding his playful gaze.

“It’s Jihoon, by the way.”

“Huh?” you asked, looking back up. Didn’t he tell you that already?

He pointed to his cup and tisked, noting the mispelling of his name. “Jihoon, not Chihoon.”

“Ohhh…” Chihoon did sound too cute for someone like him.

“It’ll be spelled correctly tomorrow, right?” he asked, although it sounded more like a command than a question.

“T-Tomorrow?”

“Do you not want me to come back?”

“No!” you said a little too hastily. “I-I mean, no, you’re more than welcome to come back.”

“Only if you spell my name correctly.”

“Ok,” was all you could manage to spit out. It was way too early for this…

“Then I will see you tomorrow, uh,” he began, leaning in closer to you over the counter. You could smell the hint of cologne on his body because he was so close. You couldn’t even breathe as he read your name tag. “_____.”

“Right. See you tomorrow,” you said, avoiding his still-playful gaze. The charming blush on your face was hard for Jihoon to miss.

As he left the coffee shop, Jihoon figured he might as well start enjoying his early mornings - starting with better-tasting espresso.

[magicalthoughtsendinterriblefics]

Past Lovers, New Comers

Requested by anon: Can I get a shameless imagine and carl Gallagher.The reader is like 2 yrs older than him and 5 mons. B4 he goes to juvie they have sex and she find out she’s pregnant and when he comes back she has a 1mon. Old baby girl and he’s really soft when it comes to the baby like he calls the baby princess and stuff but other than that he’s really tough. (Can it be a mixed girl plz I’m Puerto Rican and black and have really curly hair and a Beyoncé skin tone) And after Dom cheats on him him and the reader get together.

Pairing: Carl Gallagher x Reader (OC)

Word count: 1.342

Warnings: It’s been a while, I’m rusty.

A/N: I literally wrote this based on clips and fan edits because there is no fudging website where I can watch this show smh. Anyway, my worry here is that I’m rusty so… FEEDBACK IS SUPER ULTRA DUPER HIGHLY APPRECIATED. <3

Enjoy!

(This gif is so cute omg)

-

“Don’t worry, I will make juvie my bitch.” He had said, and (Y/N) was confident he would kick ass like usual, care-free and badass like only he could be. However, the things he left behind were too much to let go as easily as he had done.

But he had no idea.

She could still remember their last night together; his plump lips over her soft skin, his groans every time he thrusted in, and the tight grip he held on her hips. She remembered the drops of sweat that formed on his forehead, the contrast between his white skin mixed with her bronzed one, and the way his eyes shut when he came in.

He came in.

Carl always said that she was his golden girl and he had promised to stay safe for her, and to always protect her no matter in how many dangerous messes he got involved in. So far, he had kept half of that promise.

She had to leave after finding out about her consequences. They hadn’t been careful, they hadn’t thought it through. They had left the heat of the moment to take control over their bodies, falling for their primitive instincts and ignoring logic.

And now she had to carry another live.

When Carl was finally out of juvie, things in town were significantly different. He had looked for (Y/N) as soon as he was free to wander about, and so he found out she was gone. Nobody knew her whereabouts, nobody knew why she left. All there was left was the phantom of her inside his memories.

If he had only known she had a child… His child…

But there was no way he could know that. The people she had lived with – her family – did not like him at all, and refused to talk about their daughter with him. They wanted Carl away from her, he had done enough already.

That’s when he set his eyes on Dom.

She was all right. Her curly black hair reminded him of (Y/N)’s, and although her skin didn’t have the golden shine (Y/N)’s had, she was still fairly similar. Nobody could ever replace (Y/N), but at least Dom’s company made Carl feel less empty.

With time, Carl learned to love her. He had almost forgotten completely about (Y/N), and his ache was starting to fade. Life was becoming bright again for him.

Then again, life is never that good with the Gallagher Family.

Dominique was no angel, and although Carl tried his very best to please her and keep her satisfied, she ended up with another man. Carl felt as if his whole world fell into a dark black hole.

He started to wander whether he was good enough for a girl. First, (Y/N) had left without saying goodbye, and then Dominique had cheated on him with someone who was clearly better than him.

But then (Y/N) came back.

Not only did she look radiant, but she also looked like a brand new person. At first, Carl wasn’t sure on whether he should approach to her or simply admire her from afar.

Eventually, he got closer, ignoring the rest of the people sitting in the same table as her, in that crappy diner. Maybe, if he had payed attention to her company, he would’ve noticed why she was so radiant.

Her dark skin was glowing in some sort of “natural gold shimmer,” as Carl had described it mentally, and the curls on her hair looked bouncier than ever. Her full lips were bare, and her outfit was as casual as possible.

“(Y/N).” He mumbled using that new kind of tone he had learned in juvie, which made him sound ridiculous but somehow hot.

“Carl, hey!” She greeted, trying to hide her shyness.

An awkward silence followed next, and yet Carl was more comfortable than ever. Her deep eyes were on his, creating a sensation of home inside of him.

“Can I join you?” He asked carefully and she nodded right away.

It was when Carl looked down to pull a chair that he noticed the beautiful year old baby that was sitting with (Y/N). Carl tilted his head curiously.

The baby looked just like (Y/N), except for one thing. Carl remembered it with his old man’s words, as he had once called it “the Gallagher nose”. Carl exhaled a smile, not sure if his assumptions were correct – after all, his heart had played tricks on his mind before – and sat down at the one available chair left.

“So who is this beautiful princess, huh?” Carl purred as he caressed the baby’s cheek softly.

“She’s my daughter.” (Y/N) replied, unable to contain the warm smile that grew on her face after Carl’s reaction.

“Gorgeous like the mother.” Carl flirted, although he couldn’t take his eyes away from the baby. “Can I carry her?” He asked and (Y/N) nodded.

The baby instantly laughed at him, smiling widely and clapping her little hands – an action she had just learned to do – while Carl made funny faces at her and played and sang songs to her. (Y/N) could’ve sworn she had never seen him being so soft to a child ever before.

“She really likes you.” (Y/N) observed lovingly.

“I really like her,” Carl giggled, “yes, I do, I do, I do…” His voice had been changing to a ridiculous one that made the baby burst in laughter once again.

Eventually, Carl agreed to put her down to take a nap. She had started crying, and neither one liked to see such a beautiful baby with tears in her eyes.

“So is this why you left?” Carl asked, gesturing at the baby who was fast asleep on her stroller.

“Yes, I couldn’t stay here. Not with you locked up at juvie and all.” She explained.

“So she is mine…” Carl mumbled.

“Not a nice way to find out you’re a dad but…”

“No, it’s fine. She is gorgeous, and she has the Gallagher nose so… I could’ve figured it out myself.” Carl smirked, “Besides, I understand you not telling me about her… I mean, I’m an ex-con…”

“That is nothing to be ashamed of, Carl.” She whispered.

“It is for a dad.” Carl joked, “So, should I start with the puns like a regular father? Or should I go for the Gallagher tradition of being a drunken asshole?”

“I’d prefer the puns.” She giggled.

“Why didn’t you tell me after I was set free, though?” Carl inquired, going back to the serious tone once more.

“You were dating someone else… I didn’t want to ruin your happiness.” She explained.

“I only started dating her because you weren’t here anymore and I… You know I hate being alone.”

“That’s not very nice to say about your girl…”

“Ex.” Carl corrected, stealing a fry from (Y/N)’s plate. “She cheated on me.”

“Right, sorry to hear that.” (Y/N) replied shyly.

“I’m not sorry.” Carl stated, sitting straight on his chair, “This is a chance to make things right.”

She laughed. “Sorry but what do you mean?”

“You, me and that princess. A family. Think about it.” Carl said, speaking with tons of faith in his eyes. “You two can move with me to my old man’s place until I can get one for us and only us. Maybe my brothers will try to stick in but they are no trouble.”

“You dream too much, Carl.”

“Tell me this isn’t what you want and I’ll stop.” Carl dared and she remained quiet. A tiny smirk grew on his face. “Give me a chance, (Y/N/N).”

“Being a parent isn’t as easy as it seems.” (Y/N) warned carefully.

“I’ve been to jail, I think I can deal with a few diapers.” Carl chuckled, extending his hand to grab hers. “Just say the word, and I will do anything to take care of you and our little… chipmunk.”

“Chipmunk?”

“Trying to find more pet names.” Carl explained, “Princess can’t be the only one.”

“So what’s the word, C?” She flirted lovingly.

“Yes.” Carl whispered.

“Then, yes.”

Masterlist.

Forever Tags: @dekahg @myfriendmagislit

[mynameisnotkarl-blog1]

1/2

I see people are coming to me about assumptions lately

Things im hearing seeing would make you think these dudes hate me

its 50/50 so i guess they can split that evenly

Going outside is feeling more like a chore now

thoughts im having would make you think i gone senile

i been so self aware that its hard to be me now

so selfish i don’t even pretend to be me now

THIS SHIT CORNY 🌽🤣😂🤣😈

but this what the pression sounds like on a good day

and i know this shit can get worse like anyday

i know im selfish i didn’t even show up

Im feeling whoozy i think im bout to throw up

running from my problems like dont ask me

i don’t believe that l#%$ is real if you ask me

feelings going in remission

i missed it with it precision

i just couldn’t risk it

(Ive been in that void)(pitched down)

Ive been out that void

and i still cant tell difference

like who making these decisions

I got some good news

you can’t fit these shoes

i got some bad news

i can’t get over ...

it’s been a few years

ok maybe a couple fews

i mean couples views

i wish weren’t different

and the thought of it yeah it really hits

i hit the doc for a script

you don’t know it but you are god-sent

maybe that was a little extra

why do i be so extra

and then i thought about it but i really didn’t think about it lol

Aint nobody going to judge me harder than i do me

last years of high school got me feeling like a zombie

last years of colle got me feeling like i want to harm me

yeah i know i don’t fit in

but this trigger just clicking

“well did you check the safety”

oh yeah that’s my conscious

i say we get along

he barely do me wrong

when i step like iverson

broad day victim going missing the public

don’t go outside cause a niggas mind is sick

oh you getting closer yeah i think i got to dip

oh im getting so sober yeah think it’s time to sip

and when the reason is no reason at all

When i see heaven i just want to ...

But its bugged when you on the other side

or in between

thinking back on it yeah i wasted my teens

opana had my lov i should of got therapy

i had these tears all froze in my face

i had these feelings all put away

this shit lame and wack

you need to grow up👿👺

Maybe you can turn this shit all around

you didn’t mind being the clown

Thinking their laughter is more important than the pain that you’re feeling now

Goal #1 look in the mirror more

#2 try more

yeah wish it was that simple

but simple how im feeling lately

looking in the mirror thinking why that guy hates me

hate i know it can be a strong word

so excuse me for my ignorance

I seem to lack for a better word or world

and it all seems the same

like how every song sounds sad and it’s starting to become lame

imagine putting your all into a track just for anthony to call your shit lame🤣😂🤣 i guess you got to start somewhere

i got so bored i was going to put %£$ name in the google search bar and face my worst nightmares and see if i can handle it or not

ive made myself an object of a pointless concept

no strong purpose

i think it’s funny how their is always someone who will take the news of your death with laughter and it will be a genuine laugh

told my $&@#%£* marriage is a cool concept n all but really dude

btw im the last person you should be taking advice from

compliment

read n tak a hint

ask &@$ if &@$ wants to get use to just touching each other

is this a relationship

can it be this simple

No

sometimes i realize how sad i am

and how pathetic i look and sound

do people get mad at you when you’re this pathetic

am i pushing it if i say im average

i wonder if my ancestors went through something like this

i feel like the future can be bright but no time is better than it is now

i wonder if $@&#%€ thinks about me

i wonder if i made anyone cry

i used to think about 9/11 daily

but then $&@ came along then

it was $&@ every other second

the adderall help but the isolation did not

i think about how i thrived in my world

but in your world i could not

i once thought about how i could just be being dramatic

like how im concerned if “just be being dramatic” is grammatically correct or incorrect or if i should just know that either way it’s not the first time nor the last (even this is a edit)

first time I seen the &@“$& i was scared to death

the second time i seen the &@“$& i was at peace

ive🔒 a note with all my thoughts and now i dont know my thoughts

you ever get so conscious of your walking you feel like every step you can trip

i want to make a song named “I stay strapped in Prague”

i found my 👇

thoughts

1. they was close now they talk behind my back

2. are they friends or are they just using me

3. most of the whispers are about me

4. why do i want people to like me

5. i see dark objects that are not there

6. the majority of people i meet are against me

7. i know that i exaggerate things but does it stray away from the truth

8. i thought they was close but i got to cut ties now

9. i can absorb the outside world but it is difficult to interact

10. they can see right through me

11. they try to hurt me for a reaction

12. i cry most of the time just because it is good for me

13. they request things of me i don't want to do

14. isolated is when i feel most comfortable

15. i distance myself to protect me and sometimes others

16. i think im selfish even when im not trying to be

17. people think i don't like them but i don't have the energy for them

18. sometimes i avoid looking in the mirror

19. eye contact is becoming more and more difficult

20. most of my expressions are manufactured

21. don't care for the future don't got any plans

22. i love my family i love my family

23. i think about disappearing never coming back

24. ideal death will be alone deep in the forest

25. im scared

26. i damaged myself far past the chance of repair

27. distance distance distance

28. dissociation is easy

29. i don't know my family

30. why am i holding on to this anger

31. i might be sick

32. i don't know if i care

33. i think im pathetic for doing drugs

34. its hard to remember my childhood

35. i wonder if eight or ten year old me will like me now

36. accomplishments feel anything but

37. i notice things

38. im done with a lot people even ones i like

39. my thoughts paralyzes me

40. trust is difficult don't trust

41. don't know what my thoughts on what &&&& is yet

42. i don't want to do this how do i get out

43. i need help

44. i don't want help

45. enemies will laugh and joke in your face

46. if i try to enlist in the military they will deny me

47. i cant tell nobody about the problems i got nobody

48. i don't know where im at right now i just hope he is alright

49. j coles kod got me thinking he the goat and i only listen to the intro

50. ?i deleted this one it was too dark?🙄😢🙇🏾🤦🏾‍♂️

51. the album-art cover of the kod is amazing. subliminal

52. kill edward is jcole

53. if this is it im not

54. itiiinimpressed

55. im going to stop thinking about her

56. regret is a persons worst enemy

57. pretty sure i got an anxiety disorder

58. pretty sure i got ptsd

59. i use to skip meals because of my anxiety

60. i don't need nobody to tell me i need help but i know

61. im sick

62. im sick

63. how did i get sick

64. im a little dramatic

65. tpye mistake but i didn't want to backspace

66. thought this line should be a dark one but nah 6ix hundred more to go (ಥ﹏ಥ) that was an accident too but it still works i guess

67. fiona and v that will be a good 3hree

68. believe im capable of love but choose not to

69. i don't want to get high anymore but i am

70. i find myself in that empty place quite often

71. i dismissed all her advances im sorry

72. this is going to be... a long one

73. im not good with eye contact for a lot of reasons but i seen something in someone's eyes thinking how is s•• alone? is s•• alone? and things were never the same it changed everything it happened too fast but feelings weren't mutual and now i feel numb most of the time

74. i suck at rapping and producing but it feels like i can change that so easily but im lazy and scared mostly scared lol

75. i hate that shit "lol" but i still do it smh devon no lol

76. sorry its just most of the time ur not

77. im too busy trying to love myself

78. oh im sorry if it looks like im trying too hard but i am

79. i would do anything to push people alway but very little to keep them

80. everyone is against me i got few if not any

81. i need to get swollen i already told some people i was planning on too

82. i only laugh with my friends i think

83. hope this car ain't no scam hope is empty but it feels good

84. i just want it to feel good

85. i think ye might have lost it

86. i have problems sleeping

87. i slipped in that dark place again and i don't want to be there

88. behind my back

89. thunder without lightning how frightening

90. it's either i care too much or for not

91. i really don't want to disagree

92. Cringe

93. how do u make demons out of angels

94. if i hit the lottery with millions i promise myself to show someone this list

95. who are you?

96. i don't want to think about it when i think about it

97. you don't want to know the places i go

98. had to correct that👆👍

99. just sitting here chilling with my shoes on unlaced

100. i think im sick... in the head

101. i think about the most darkest things

102. i don't think im going to sleep for a long time

103. now i know why people go to far with things

104. but when you do it right the outcome is amazing

105. i can understand someone else's choice better than i can explain min

[demonac]

Intelligent Item Set - Creative Make-Up for Sunday Morning Heroes

I'm probably not got to get to the backlog of Missed SMH videos (I'm about 4 behind), because it's a much lower priority than TDDC, and I thnk I need new ideas to inspire more of these.

But in the meantime, we missed a weekend after a decent streak of consistent streams, so here's the latest creative Make-Up video:

Full Transcript here (probably full of typos):

Greetings, I'm Demonac, and this is a Make-Up video, where I make up an RPG element, like an organization or monster or an exotic location, based on viewer suggestions. I'm trying to make one of these every time we miss a Sunday Morning Heroes D&D5e livestream, but it's lower priority than my real series, TDDC, so I probably won't catch up on the backlog of about 4 I 'owe' right now...

I had a couple requests for intelligent items - for a non-weapon non-armor item, and for a set of intelligent items, so I'm going to present an item set. Of course, as usual this video is focused more on brainstorming and giving you ideas than on mechanics, so I'm going to present a couple of different themes.

Generally, the purpose of a magic item set is that wearing multiple items or the full set provides more power than the sum of its parts, while assembling the set becomes a quest (or side-quest) in its own right.

Intelligent items in D&D are items which are more than just tools - they have a purpose of their own, and a will bent on accomplishing that purpose. Typically, such items are more powerful than most, rewarding the wielder for working toward the item's goal, but also trying to bend the user toward that goal, and if they resist - if they act against the will of the item - the item may become ornery, or activtely hamper them, and if they conflict too much, ultimately the item may try to find itself a new user somehow.

I would suggest that Intelligent Set items would almost by definition have one other trait - any intelligent item which is part of a set (whether the other parts of the set are individually intelligent, or collectively form a single personality) - any intelligent set item must either want to join the rest of the set, or, since they may have their own will, want to AVOID joining the rest of the set. One or the other - an Intelligent item that is part of a Set really shouldn't be indifferent about whether or not the set should be assembled.

All this put together means that a Set of Intelligent items is bound to become a prominent part of a campaign - though not necessarily right away. Let's look at one version of this idea:

 In ancient times there was an item now known only as The Ark. Its nature is shrouded in mystery, but we know that a small group of powerful heroes assembled to protect The Ark - to keep its power out of evil hands. These Sentinels of the Ark protected their charge for the rest of their lives, but when the first of them - a human - finally succombed to old age, their wizard - the elf Velthalas - was concerned that as the Sentinels passed, the heroes of the future may not have the power to guard The Ark against the gathering forces of darkness. And so the remaining Sentinels made a pact, to stand against that darkness for all eternity. Velthalas bound the soul of their fallen comrade into his already reknowned signature magic boots, allowing their friend to communicate to the wearer, while the wearer of the boots could access some of the great warrior's power in battle. And so, as each of the comrades passed, in time, the longest lived of them - the elven Wizard - bound each of them into one of their signature magic items, and finally set into place contingencies to ensure that upon her own demise, she herself would in the same way become bound to her mighty magic amulet, so that in the future, should The Ark be threatened, it would always be possible for new heroes to arise, and for them to bring to bear the power of all the Sentinels to protect their charge - and by extension, the world.

The number of Sentinels is left purposefully vague; because it is probably suspiciously similar to the number of player characters in your campaign. I'll make a sample set, then go through some of the innumerable ways that you can modify and play around with this concept to tailor it to your game, defy expectations, and maintain the mystery in your campaign.

The Sentinels of The Ark (in this sample universe) are a set of four Intelligent items, each containing the soul of an ancient hero. Each is aware of anything which can be seen or heard within 20 feet of them, can choose to communicate with the wearer (either telepathically, or in another way, specific to the item, at GM's discretion), as well as having a very general sense of the current emotional state of the wearer. Each item has an agenda, and goals based on the personality of the original hero, and if the wearer acts in accordance to their desires, the hero whose essence is within the item can choose to reveal themself to the wearer, a ghostly image which stands next to the item while it is worn. If the wearers go against the desires of the Sentinel whose magic item they wield, the item may attempt to punish them in some ways, to force them "back on track". Each item can also sense the direction to the next closest member of the item set, and can estimate the distance very roughly, such as "5 days ride".

 Example items:

The Gloves of Narja [aka the Missing Fingers]

 Probably the first item of the set to be uncovered, these slick, black, fingerless gloves may initially appear to be simple gloves of Dexterity. As the first Set item, these have to start the Quest to assemble the Sentinels, if the party was not already searching for them.

 These gloves contain the essence of Narja, an epic halfling thief and 'scoundrel'. She was well-meaning, always there for her friends, but... maybe a kleptomaniac? The first sign that these may be more than ordinary stat-gloves is that small items start unexpectedly ending up in the wearer's pockets or pack - including some random and/or valuable junk (from passersby, NPCS, or even other player characters), but also potentially plot-relevant items, like the keys to the jail cell to which they were escorted in manacles? Narja always had to be doing something with her hands, so when trying to restrain herself from pilfering everything in sight, she tended to doodle, and the wearer will likely start doing the same. The character may not carry chalk or a quill-pen... but they might find one in their pocket.

 As an intelligent item, the Gloves of Narja have a will, and an objective of their own. Their primary goal is to protect The Ark, if it is found again, but in order to do that, they want to assemble the the full set - to rejoin with all of Narja's friends, the ancient Sentinels of The Ark. Narja's essence, in particular, has a tendency to encourage the... er... taking of small objects. But she also particularly wants to be closer to the essence of her best friend (and general foil), Bruno, a human warrior who now exists within the Boots of Bruno.

 The Missing Fingers are actually pretty passive and easygoing for an intelligent item under most circumstances, not necessarily revealing their intelligence until they (or the wearer) see or hear information about The Ark or the other Sentinels (either in life, or in their current itemized form). At that point, though, the gloves may begin speaking telepathically to the wearer, in Narja's cute halfling-y voice, or GM's option, they may only communicate by writing cryptic notes using the wearer's hands, but the rogue's own tiny handwriting. If the wearer is receptive, and embraces Narja's desire to fight dirty (but only against the forces of evil), and to gather information for the party (either by chatting with people or by scouting ahead), she may become more attuned to them. The gloves become less attuned when the wearer fights dirty against obviously innocent or neutral forces. When properly attuned, Narja's spirit (or at least, a ghostly image of her) can actually emerge from the gloves, visible only to wielders of The Sentinels, but able to move up to 20-feet from the gloves (while they are being worn), including scouting and reporting back information the wearer couldn't see or hear themselves.

 BASE ITEM: Gloves of Dexterity (with additional stats or abilities at GM's discretion) ABILITIES: The wearer gains a backstab ability, dealing +1d6 damage against Evil Creatures only - obviously cumulative with any actual backstab ability of the character. If backstabbing an Evil Creature with more than 100 current HP, the backstab deals an additional +2d6 damage (for a total of +3d6)

 Each of these items also has an "assist" ability, making them work better in conjunction with the wearer of another specific set item. This ability reveals itself when the wearers of the two items are working together, OR if a character wears both items at once. The Gloves of Narja have: ASSIST: If the wearer of the Boots of Bruno [aka the Iron Boots] assists the character in making a leaping charge (for example, in 5th Edition D&D, this might be using their reaction to make a Strength check to help 'toss' the wearer of the gloves), the wearer of the Gloves of Narja gains +10 speed and +4 AC during that attack. Yes, I know charge is only with a Feat in 5th Ed, this would probably just be for moving 20+ feet in a straight line to make melee attacks.

 The Boots of Bruno [aka the Iron Boots]

 These well-worn grey leather boots, once worn by Bruno of The Sentinels of The Ark, have very long laces (enough to wrap around the boots several times in addition to criss-crossing their way down), and contain the human warrior's courageous spirit - his mix of crazy risktaking and duty-bound desire to protect his friends. Unlike the relatively chill gloves, the moment these boots are worn, Bruno asks if The Ark is safe, and begins trying to find out what has happened and where the other Sentinels are. Bruno is insistent that you should immediately go after the nearest of the Sentinel set items not worn by a member of the party. At GM's discretion, the boots may (instead of telepathy) attempt to communicate by spelling out words with their long laces. WARNING: This is a cool idea, but a slow mode of communication and probably a pain in the ass. Though it WOULD be a cool way to communicate something against the will of the wearer...

 The Boots become more attuned to the wearer if they attack enemy spellcasters first in combat (as expediently as possible, regardless of what foes lie in between), or if no enemy spellcasters are around, face the most dangerous enemy first. The Boots become less attuned if the party retreats from battle, unless the wearer is the the last to run (guarding the rear).

 BASE ITEM: Boots of Striding and Springing (additional stats or abilities at GM's discretion) ABILITIES: If the wearer attacks a creature in melee, then until the beginning of their next turn, any physical attack by that creature against the wearer that deals 10+ damage has its damage reduced by 2. Any physical attack by that creature against the wearer that deals 20+ damage instead has its damage reduced by 5, and any physical attack by that creature against the wearer that deals 30+ damage instead has its damage reduced by 10. ASSIST: If the wearer of the Amulet of Velthalas casts a damage-dealing area spell on the wearer of the Iron Boots/Boots of Bruno, the Amulet's wearer can spend their reaction to make an Intelligence check (Say, DC 8 + spell level); it successful, the wearer of the Boots takes no damage from the spell, though they may suffer other effects of it; on a failed check, the wearer of the Boots still takes only half damage, wich may be further reduced by resistances, the spell's saving throw (if any), etc.

 The Amulet of Velthalas [aka the Elfmind Amulet]

 This silver amulet has a trio of pink gems set in the front; the gems are not symmetrical; the different sizes representing the Id, the Ego and the Superego. The Amulet contains the logical, patient, contemplative intellect of Velthalas, the wizard of The Sentinels, and the one who bound their spirits to these items. Her primary concern is to learn of the current fate of The Ark, and to reassemble the Sentinels to protect it, but unlike Bruno, the elf is hesitant to reveal too much until certain that the wearer can be trusted. Even then, she may be doubtful of the trustworthiness of their friends, because the amulet cannot sense their emotions the way it can sense those of the wearer.

 The Amulet will communicate telepathically with the wearer (and this is the wizard; it doesn't have some fun alternate means of communication), though if you are using the alternate means for the other items, this actually makes her telepathy stand out as special. At first, it will attempt to give information to make itself useful, but simultaneously to try to discern the wearer's intentions - which can lead to some misunderstandings, because to know if the wearer can be trusted, depending on circumstances, it may have to test them, with ideas which the wearer should reject, but which may cause the wearer to themselves suspect the Amulet.

 The wearer will become more attuned to the Amulet if they pass her tests, acting against evil, rejecting courses of action which would harm innocents. They can also become more attuned simply by gathering the other Sentinel items together. The wearer becomes less attuned if they fail any tests, fail to act righteously in the face of tough decisions, or resist the quest to assemble the Sentinels and eventually find and protect The Ark.

 BASE ITEM: Amulet of Psychic Resistance (additional stats or abilities at GM's discretion) ABILITIES: Whenever the wearer drops an enemy to zero HP, the Amulet of Velthalas heals 1HP and gains 1 charge. If the enemy defeated was a large creature or spellcaster, instead gain 2HP and 2 charges; if the enemy defeated was a dragon or a huge or larger creature, instead gain 3 HP and 3 charges. As a Reaction, if the Amulet has 8 or more charges, the wearer can expend ALL charges to cast Counterspell as the spell; if the wearer is not a spellcaster, use Intelligence as the spellcasting ability if required. The minimum charges required to trigger this ability is reduced by one for each other piece of the item set worn by an ally of the caster (within 100 feet). ASSIST: Once per short rest, if the wearer of the Cloak of Shariffe (aka Cloak of The Guardian) is within 100 feet of you, as an Action you can teleport them to your side [the Cloak's wearer must be willing; if they do not accept the teleport, the action is spent but this ability is not]. Once per short rest, as a reaction, you may grant advantage on any one skill check being performed by the wearer of the Cloak of Shariffe.

 The Cloak of Shariffe (aka Cloak of The Guardian)

 This flowing blue cloak with a silver-edged hood, contains the essence of the healer of The Sentinels of The Ark: Shariffe the Stern. The priest was known for his fearless determination to keep his allies alive no matter what, with his protective magics, and for remaining stoic in the face of suffering and loss, but also for his extremely dry (even dark) sense of humor.

 The Cloak will communicate telepathically with the wearer, to encourage them to find the other Sentinels and together, to protect The Ark. If alternate methods of communication are in use, it might work by pointing with its corners or tugging (like Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation), OR perhaps the abstract or runic pattens of the trim form themselves into legible words when needed. The Cloak becomes more attuned as you bring hope to people who lack hope, but also as you use dark or dry humor to fight against fear and despair among your allies (including yourself). It will become less attuned if you act in an overtly silly manner, or if you choose protecting yourself over aiding your allies.

 BASE ITEM: Cloak of Protection +1 AC, +1 Saves (additional stats or abilities at GM's discretion) ABILITIES: Whenever the wearer heals hitpoint damage with a Level 1 or higher spell, if a single target was healed, they gain 4 Temp HP, or multiple targets instead gain 2 Temp HP each. If it was a Level 3 or higher spell, if a single target was healed, they instead gain 10 Temp HP, or multiple targets instead gain 5 Temp HP each. If it was a level 6 or higher spell, if a single target was healed, they instead gain 20 Temp HP, or multiple targets instead gain 10 Temp HP each. All temporary HP from this ability last for up to 3 rounds. ASSIST: If adjacent to the wearer of the Gloves of Narja, the wearer of the Gloves can use their Reaction to make a Stealth check; if successful, the Cloak wearer gains +10 speed and does not provoke opportunity attacks until the end of their turn.

 Those are some fairly generic versions of the items and of the Sentinels. You should absolutely create your own stats and/or abilities of the items, and change or create totally different histories and personalities of the Sentinels, to better fit your campaign world and the story you want to tell. I would also change the number of set items to match the party - four items for 3 players is probably fine, but if you have more than 4 PCs, I would add more Sentinels to match the party size. Though more than 6 is may be too many. Remember, as the items become more attuned to the wearers, each item may begin to show the ghostly image of its hero, and if you wanted, you roleplay between them and their wearers, or even between each other, playing out the friendships and rivalries they had in life.

 Here are some more important ways to change and adapt the whole dynamic of the item set though:

First, what is the nature of the Ark? Is it a power which can be unlocked by the sentinels to be used against evil? Or a power which must forever be guarded, not to fall into evil hands. Is it against evil in general? Or is it the only counter to some very specific Grand Evil. OR, is the legend all wrong - a trap - and the sentinels are decievers who want to be united in order to unlock a great evil and take over or destroy the world?

Regardless of the nature of The Ark itself, there will doubtless be other parties seeking to unite the Sentinels, either for The Ark, or just for the powers of the items themselves - if a pair of items are worn by one individual, it may allow them to use one of the Assist powers. If ALL the items were worn by one individual, they could use all their assist powers. Because of Bruno's blunt and straightforward nature, a villain who puts on the boots would immediately learn of The Ark and the nearest of the Sentinels' items, pitting them against the party on the quest to unite the set.

Then there is the Set Bonus. When all the Sentinels are assembled, either on one person, or on a group of allies as intended, they should gain some great power to make it all worthwile. What should this power be? I would probably allow them to communicate telepathically with one-another at will, then give them some simple but awesome power (in 5th Ed, maybe increase their Proficiency bonus by +1, which makes them slightly better at basically everything). Then, there should probably be some very strong power to counter the main evil which threatens The Ark (or which The Ark protects against), such as Resistance or Immunity to a damage type used by the enemy. Imagine a terrifying demon which nobody could oppose, because its aura deals 10d6 Necrotic damage per round to all beings within 60 feet. If the Sentinels made the wearers immune to Necrotic damage, the demon might still be a great combat threat, but one which true heroes could defeat - with the power of the Sentinels. Maybe it's some deadly being which can mind-control any creature with no save, and the wearers of the Sentinels are immune to this power (or the creature has to focus on a single target, who gets a save thanks to the power of the item set). In any case, I think it's a good general plan for the set bonus to have both a game power which the heroes can use and feel good about, AND a plot power which makes the set inherently critical to the adventure.

Finally, whether the original Sentinels were true heroes or surprise villains, there's an extra element you could add into the mix (or not): a traitor to the group. Most likely culprits in the particular example group described above are the Wizard (who may have had a sinister agenda, or may have lived long enough to regret the oath through which they trapped themself in this eternal limbo), or the first of the Sentinels to die - if you recall, in my story, the idea of the item set came AFTER the first death, meaning that individual didn't get a choice in life. What if they hate being trapped in the item, or are just angered because they never had the choice, but ultimately, when the fate of the world is at stake, they would have a change of heart and help save creation anyway? The traitor might seek to unite the set for some sinister purpose of their own, or they may seek to prevent the items from being assembled.

Again, I'm just providing ideas - I hope something here gives you some ideas for a major or minor element of your D&D campaign.

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Make sure to make suggest your own weird or interesting ideas in the comments or on twitter @TalesDDC; and don't get too overly specific, because you never know what you'll get. Brainstorm away, whether for RPGs or for any fiction. Of course, if you want to see a lot of my crazy RPG ideas in action, check out the epic illustrated Tales From My D&D Campaign!