#even though she may view them as below herself

[ayakashibackstreet]

It just hit me, of course I like Eichi, I'm a professional Lanzhu apologist.........

[waokevale]

The Overlapped AU [Aka Superhumans disguisted as Dinner Theater workers]

The Owners

The Managers (Engineer & the HR person)

The Waiters

The Security

The Performers (Wes is mostly on cleaning duty though)

The Kitchen staff (the others are usually tasked to help, though very few are actually trusted at all times to be there)

The Bartender and the Host

The Dishwashers

The Clerk & The Supplier

So this AU came to me upon a dream, and I just had to make it real...

The synopsis below:

The event of April 17th 1906 does happen, however instead of Charlie and Maxwell being kidnapped into the Constant, the Constant overlaps with the real world and spreads itself onto Earth.

Charlie and Maxwell in the process become corrupted and have to hide away temporarily. Both of them soon began to hear strange voices, source of which neither is quite sure, telling them, compelling them to hide the corruption's effect from the publicity, for the time being.

They come to a mutual realization they have to fix this mess somehow and hunt down any and all corrupted by the tome, by any means necessary.

(Maxwell still has codex umbra, but it is sealed shut for the time being until he's sure it won't spread more if Their influence. )

But the corruption didn't just appear out of nowhere, it's been leaking way long before Maxwell found the Codex, if to a less prominent extent.

Thus, in few years passing, they form a Dinner Theater, a rather inconspicuous establishment from the first glance. Very quickly they began "hiring" employees, which in reality means tracking down and blackmailing those who have been corrupted but not fully lost themselves to its effects, in order to hunt those who had.

Winona was against the idea at first, as she found out. But seeing the effects of corruption first hand, she quickly had a change of heart and integrated herself into Charlie's new environment.

Eventually they gathered a rather generous amount of people. Once a person's proven to be trustworthy to a point, they're give higher positions in the company.

However those who aren't, are likely to be shunned or "fired" which...you could probably guess what that means.

Many of these people gradually come to terms with the reality of their situation and accept their newfound purpose, being thankful that at least they still have a roof over their head and a warm meal, instead of being viewed as monsters or outcasts to the greater society.

(Wilson though, can't quite accept this notion. He keeps claiming that "this is just a big misunderstanding, I'm just a normal guy!" Yet the truth could be far from it.)

When Maxwell and Charlie hear of the danger looming, they immediately inform their "staff" of the matter. Those who are more experienced in combat come along to face whatever opponent may cross them, while those who aren't, stay behind, to be an additional aid or a medic in case the battle gets too intense.

Whenever any suspicion arises in the town about the shady business going on in that particular building, the two owners alongside their employees practically gaslight anyone and everyone into believing they're but the most regular entertainment center.

The characters who have either willingly or unwillingly lost their humanity, mostly in the physical sense, are given special devices constructed of Thulecite and bits of nightmare fuel (made by Winona, Wicker and the main two), which effectively hide away their true identity, or surpress the effects of their ailment.

There's also a few other people important to this story, especially the One, which even Charlie and Maxwell refer to as "The Boss", though what many most recent hires don't know, is that there's someone who's in a position much higher than the owners themselves, controlling their every move.

Correlating to that, another person, or rather, a set of people per se, working for a much different cause. Though most of them are "people" in only a visual sense of the word.

And while, there might be someone inside the well-known around town diner, who just might be more than what appears on the surface, literally and metaphorically this time.

__________

If you're interested to learn more about this AU, do let me know. If you have any questions, I'm happy to hear and answer them!

[trashiiplant]

I don't really ever post my oc stuff here, probably in fear it wont be received that well but ah, here I go anyway.

I finally made a slugcat oc to accompany my iterator oc, Gaze Upon a Borealis HEHE.... they're very good friends

Some notes of both below the cut:

Gaze Upon a Borealis is an iterator located in the arctic region, making her even more isolated than many other iterators. Their communication network isn't all that great. I currently don't have any proper ocs that would be a part of her local group but I DO know that it's small as hell.

She is very gentle and welcoming of any small creatures that find their way to their can. They worry over every single one every time, aware of how cold it must be for them outside. She often times assists starving creatures.

Their puppet is made to be portable in case she needs to fix some outer damage to her structure by herself. (The Beacon likes helping them with this.) There's hardly ever a proper need for that though, so she simply walks around her facility and admires the view. They gaze upon the aurora borealis often. (ayy)

Borealis can even exit their can for a certain period of time with a built in lift. They like to go on walks with Beacon every now and then.

AND OH BOY.. I rambled a bit while working on The Beacon OOPS

Anyway, here's the text if that's a bit hard to read:

-The Beacon is modified by an iterator, Gaze Upon a Borealis

-Also referred to as "Assistant" by GUB

-Specifically modified to survive the harsh climate of the arctic, where Borealis' can is located.

-Very durable and larger than most slugcats. It is awfully slow but much akin to the Gourmand, it's spear throws are quite deadly.

(2,5 dmg at most, maybe. Depends on the throw)

-Tail is designed to keep it warm, along with the thick fur

-The tail acts as a lantern, it's heat and light may lure in dangerous predators in seek of warmth.

-Rather grumpy and strict in personality. It is extremely wise due to it's old age and has acted as a mentor figure to a few slugcats in it's old colony

-Borealis managed to put it's physical aging to a halt... wont die permanently unless ascended. (screw the logic)

-At night, it's colors change to resemble the northern lights. It's tail even leaves a trail akin to one. Borealis simply thought of it as a pretty feature. Beacon finds it bothersome

-◉◉◉|◉◉◉◉◉◉ Easy peasy food pip req due to the lack of food in the arctic.

The rest is just height comparisons.

[magua-vida]

SLAY THE QUEEN THORN

I was inspired by Abby's sketch of a hypothetical Queen version of the Princess, so I tried my hand at it with a few vessels, including this one. I... ended up drawing something akin to a fashion design concept art rather than a practical design that won't be tiring to draw over and over after a handful of sprites later. I also had to use a bit more artistic license growing unnatural poppies on the dress and the thick twirly prickly noodles.

some explanations behind the process

For the "mended" Thorn, I pretty much just removed the foreground thorns and added the dirt.

rambling/fangirling/screenshots below:

The Thorn is one of my favorites. If I had to choose only five vessels to offer to Shifty and there's no replayable feature, she'll definitely be one of them. I'm one of those suckers who's into Hurt/Comfort stories. Almost like a masochist for those fics, you could say. If the climax to an Action-heavy story is the defeat of one party, then the catharsis of Hurt/Comfort is when the two characters... well, comfort each other- either due to hurt from each other or someone else. In The Thorn's case, she started off rather innocently, Damsel-like, but not quite. She still had caution. It was until she was literally stabbed in the back that she learned that it was a mistake. And when Long Quiet offered sincere regret and admission of fault, she stabbed him... but she didn't feel the relief she thought she'd get from it. I think many relate to having been betrayed and/or betraying someone they trusted, and the scratches are felt by many players.

The thorns curve inward, as if it's more painful to leave her than it is to approach her.

Poppies grow around along the bramble. Many mistook them for roses because they're red and there are brambles (tbh, I actually dunno if they're brambles or briars, I looked them up and I got confused, forgive me, plant enthusiasts ;.;) that grow around the patches of those poppies. Death and romance~

This brings back to Chapter 1 where Hero was kinda-sorta-maybe-definitely crushing on the Princess and wants to give her the benefit of the doubt, not only because of feelings, but for a reasonable cause of wanting to rescue someone who possibly may actually be a victim of circumstance.

Look, I have reasons why Thorn route is one of my favorites and it definitely doesn't have anything to do with both characters having massive trust issues and the capability to change themselves for better or worse and the emotional moments hitting me like a lovely diamond-dusted dagger. Both of them are rather cat-like with pointy ears too.

I appreciate that you're still given the options to leave or stab Thorn, as if the situation isn't pitiable enough. Even her tiara looks like a crown of thorns. It's as if she views the thorns as both a form of penance and a defence mechanism to protect herself from being hurt again, even though she's hurt by her own making this time.

I chose for the Long Quiet to save her and leave the cabin together.

This part stabbed me the most. Even when shown genuine help, she shrinks back.

This part burns a bit of the jadedness away. Trust is a scary thing, so is love. How can you be so sure that you won't be hurt by the one you love again? But just like what The Prisoner says, it's about trust- blind trust. Thorn looks more human than her previous self- less animalistic, softer. A part of The Damsel returns, even in the music.

I recall weighing on whether I prefer the version with the Voice of the Cheated or Voice of the Smitten. I vaguely remember wondering if there was an option to ask her if it's okay to kiss her. I guess the ideal would be is to have that choice, but I suppose the climactic moment calls for it and she doesn't mind it, at least. It's like the option to hug Astarion from BG3, but you're not sure whether he'd be comfy with it after being hurt so much. He gave approval for it too~

As much as Thorn is one of my favorites, I'm not attracted to her and any of the vessels. Instead, I ship her with the Long Quiet- the character himself. I don't really see myself AS the Long Quiet, more like choosing what actions on what he does and I separate myself from him a lot for many reasons. It's a bit like the Harry situation from Disco Elysium in terms of seemingly blank-slate protagonists.

Instead, I kinda put myself into her situation to feel how she felt in this route. The poppies not only felt symbolic of her nature as part of the Shifting Mound, but also specifically the end of the mutual treachery you've inflicted on each other, potentially beginning anew on a path of healing.

==============ramble-bramble over===================

[alucarddear]

what if alucard’s wife dreams that he cheated? like she wakes up in the middle of the night almost crying and then occurs to her “oh, I was dreaming” but she’s still a little bit mad and get away from his embrace which wakes him up and he’s like “babe what’s wrong?” “you cheated” and he’s like “what? I didn’t!”. a little bit fluffy in the end with him assuring her that this will never happen because he loves her too much 🥹

+more requests that are along the same vein. Here’s to some of you seeking a comfort drabble with our beloved meow meow. 🤍🦇

Immutable Truth

Alucard’s wife dreams that he cheated on her. [She/her]

It is immutable truth. Just as the sun is bright and the nights are dark, I love you.

Alucard wakes to the sound of his wife sniffling next to him.

He wipes the sleep from his eyes and immediately attempts to take her in his arms, but she wouldn't budge. “What’s wrong? Another nightmare?”

He expects some half-slurred sad story—the usual culprit that breaks her sleep—but meets instead a fierce glare.

Her eyes are burning. "I dreamt that you cheated on me!"

His wife's remark almost had him laughing, if not for the distress on her face.

“What? Love, I never would,” he states calmly. “Hush now. It’s a bad dream and nothing more, I assure you.”

"Adrian, I-I..."

And there it is, the sight he dreads the most. Quivering lips, reddened eyes, tears that wouldn't seem to stop. Her sobbing pierces straight through his heart and fills him with the overwhelming need for anything to have it stop, anything to make her feel better.

"Hush now, darling. It was nothing but a bad dream. Come here," he says, arms open to receive her. She glares at him yet again.

“Should I be offended, my love? I would never look another way; surely you know this to be true.” But his words don’t get him anywhere. She wouldn't accept his embrace.

Sigh. "Alright, I won't touch you. But would you tell me, please, darling? So that I may soothe your worries." I hate to see you cry.

"I dreamt that y-you chose someone else over m-me; t-that you l-left me—hic—just like that..."

Oh.

He listens patiently, giving his wife time to let it all out and calm herself.

“You are constantly at the receiving end of confessions after confessions. Letters, presents, barely veiled affection right in front of my eyes, even though we're married!"

It is true, Alucard has to admit. Ever since the establishment of Belmont Village, he had been somewhat popular. There are some that have been, for lack of a better word, persistent despite his martial status.

He nearly cringed. He had an inkling that those incidents bothered her but chose to downplay them in lieu of causing a rift. The idea of ever leaving her had always been ludicrous at best, but he realises now that he should have been doing a much better job of reassuring her. He should have been firmer in rejecting others' advances.

Alucard takes her hands in his, and this time she lets him. “I understand," he says. "I have gotten used to the attention as of late that I…" He shakes his head. "No, there is no excuse. I apologise. I would do better.”

He caresses her cheeks, tenderly wiping away new tears that are threatening to form before they could have the chance to break his heart in pieces.

“I want you to know that their words hold very little weight to me,” he whispers lovingly, staring straight into her eyes as if imploring her to see through him, to view the vastness of his love.

Then, he presses soft kisses just below her eye. “Hush now, sweetheart, please, my lovely wife… It pains me to see you this way.”

If she only knew just how little it takes for her to break his heart in two. Even before she gave herself to him, he’d wanted nobody else. Hearing her crying over something he considers utterly impossible… he should have been doing a much better job of proving himself to her. If anything, he’s disappointed in himself.

It’s only you whose love and affection cause a stomping in my heart, a magnitude of which I have never felt before, he wants to express but couldn’t find the right words to. It's only you whose very voice is enough to lift my spirit. How could I ever hope to replace this feeling? To love another? To abandon you would be akin to losing everything. Everything.

"I have everything I could ever want. I have you."

It is immutable truth. Just as the sun is bright and the nights are dark, I love you. I love you and I am yours.

“There’s only you, darling. I love only you.“

Alucard goes on to reason with her. “Have I ever given you cause to worry? When was the last time?”

When was the last time? He looks at her as if to challenge her. The very notion of him looking another way was almost laughable if his beloved wife wasn’t in agony over it.

“Don’t you make light of my commitment to you,” he tells his wife solemnly. How long has he to live? A thousand years, if not more, yet all of it he wishes to spend with her. It’s almost frightening, truly, the depth of his affection and adoration for this woman. His want—his need—for her runs so deeply it’s enough for him to believe it can transcend lifetimes.

The thought of being somewhere, anywhere, without her is frightening in and of itself. How was he to even ponder it?

“There is not a life in which I would ever abandon you,” he says plain and simple. The surest thing in the world.

“There is only you, my darling wife,” he says pointedly. “In any life, in any place, I would choose you.” In a heartbeat. Always. It’s only fitting, he thinks. For there was nothing before she came into his life.

“I’m sorry…” his wife mumbles, avoiding his eyes, looking adorably like a petulant child ashamed of her blunder. It makes him smile. Silly girl.

“It’s alright, please; you had a valid concern. And I don’t wish for you to misunderstand. I am not angry.” He opens his arms to receive her, to shield her. “Come here to me.”

This time, she tilts her face toward his like a sunflower to the sun, a pleased smile now etching itself onto her mouth. Alucard places a kiss upon it and captures her in his arms. Yours. All yours.

[coffeeghoulie]

Mushy May Day 27: Backstage Shenanigans

Aurora and Aeon are menaces, and Rain is an enabler. Swiss wonders why he puts up with them some times.

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and to @ghuleh-recs for making us the dividers <3

Aurora doesn't know how to explain it. It might be her air affinity calling her upwards. Maybe it's hiding to brace for a long night. Maybe it's just her near constant desire to be mischievious. Regardless, Aurora's light enough to hide up in the scaffolding above stage right while the rest of the crew works on set up.

It's quiet up here, watching the crew moving below her cartoonishly small. In a couple hours' time, this place will be full to the brim of screaming humans, Aurora perched up on her pedestal in the far corner of stage left. For now, she breathes, trying to keep the anticipation at bay. She's still new to this all; asides from Aeon, her summoning-mate, all of the other ghouls have years of experience on her.

She tries to keep her mind focused, not spiraling into her doubts even though she knows she was chosen for a reason. Soundcheck starts soon (She doesn't know how soon. She doesn't even want to risk pulling her phone out and dropping it from this height) and she knows she'll have to return to the ground once again.

The metal rigging creaks, and Aurora jolts, manicured fingers wrapping tightly around one of the beams as she momentarily loses her balance. Once she's righted herself, she turns, frame relaxing as she sees another figure hauling themself up to sit beside her.

"Hey, Rory," Aeon says, chuffing softly as they press against her side, looking around from this new point of view. They're half-dressed already, in uniform from the waist down, compression shirt sleeves shoved up to their elbows. "I keep seeing you up here. This is nice."

She laughs, knocking her shoulder into his softly. "Yeah, when you can keep your balance. It's, uh, it's quiet."

Below them, a few of their packmates wander onto the stage. Rain stretches his wrists, rolling his neck as Swiss climbs up onto his platform. He's right under the two of them.

"You wanna cause some trouble, Rory?" Aeon asks, free hand slipping into their pants pocket and pulling out a handful of... something. It's dim up here, but Aurora can see the metallic copper glint of a grucifix, of the stylized word Ghost. They've got a bunch of the picks they're going to throw out at the end of the night, eyes glittering with something mischievous.

She grins, the gap between her front teeth on full display as she carefully reaches out, grabbing a few of the picks from them. "Rainy or Swiss?" she asks, gesturing between the two ghouls below them.

Aeon hums thoughtfully. "Swiss is too easy," he whispers. "He's right there. Get Rain."

Carefully balancing herself on the scaffolding, Aurora closes one eye, pick squeezed between two fingers, and throws. It's so small she loses sight of it, watching carefully at Rain's reaction, if there is one.

They watch from above as Rain's brow furrows, glancing down and pushing at something with his boot. The tiniest speck of black disappears under his sole, and Aeon grins wildly. "Missed," they hiss with laughter.

"Oh, knock it off," she hisses back, suddenly going stock still as she feels eyes on her. She slowly turns back towards stage left. Her stomach drops, and she can almost feel it hit the stage below them.

Rain's staring up at the two of them, a smile slowly growing on his face. He makes a show of bending down to pick up the pick Aurora had just thrown at him.

"Oh shit," Aeon whispers, their two toned eyes wide.

"Fuck," Aurora agrees, waiting for Rain to make them known, call them out on being somewhere they're not supposed to be.

Instead, Rain just smiles, gesturing almost imperceptibly towards Swiss. Aurora echoes his expression, shifting on the scaffolding until she's looking straight down at the multi-ghoul, another pick in hand.

She throws it, and she knows she can't hear it, too small and light, but her brain provides her with the most satisfying "thunk" as the pick hits the top of Swiss's head, bouncing off and clattering against his platform. He shouts, wheeling around and looking for the source. Rain leans back and cackles, watching the multi-ghoul looking around frantically.

Aeon and Aurora can't hold back their laughter, and Swiss looks straight up. His growl sounds weird under his human glamour. "You two!" he yells, but there's no real heat in it. "Gremlins, the two of you I swear!"

Aurora cackles, throwing another one down, delighting in the way he sputters.

[2kyo7]

𝐂𝐀𝐈𝐌; 𝟎𝟓

metkayina!reader x avatar 2

THE SHORE HAD BECOME tiny after yourself and Tuk had swam such a great distance to reach the destination. At first you'd grown worried about going so far, even with your skills you didn't want her to tire out halfway through, but was graciously surprised when Tuk showed little sign of discomfort or distress. Simply enjoying the delicious food and scenery around her. "Tuktirey do not fear the waves as you swim." You held a steady grasp to Tuk's hand, providing some stability as she attempted to stay afloat comfortably as you did. "The harder you fight, the harder swimming will be."

Tuk let out a strong huff of frustration, "I only want to swim like you ____!" You laugh aloud at her inexperience, "most fyeyn in the clan can not swim half as well as me Tuktirey. Do not worry yourself so much." Tuk seemed to calm at the realization she was not lacking in skill, just you had an over abundance of it. "Woah, really!" You nodded, soon diving your head below the water in order to pick a ripe fruit from its underwater vine. "In truth Tuktirey, you are doing very well—even more so than your older siblings! Truly something only a strong warrior can accomplish.”

fyeyn - adult

She became silent at your words for a moment before speaking once more, "why do you call me that ____? I have never went into battle before like Neteyam and Lo'ak..." Tuk's head lowered slightly, a mix of sadness and anger playing on her features, all directed towards herself. You'd broken the fruit apart, placing its inside contents to her lips. "Being a warrior is not only about fighting. One can be a warrior of many things." Tuk took the fruit into her mouth, looking at you curiously. "Take me, I am a warrior of the water, and you—"

"You are a warrior of great courage. Not many are able to travel so far and stray from everything they've known, especially at your age."

"So...I am a warrior! More than Lo'ak, and Neteyam." Tuk's eyes gleamed with excitement, her arms moving to latch themselves around your neck. "____, if you know all this—can't you be nicer to everyone else?"

The question through you for a loop, but you came to understand why she'd ask this of you. Her family most likely spoke about you amongst themselves, no, you're positive they do, and she heard every word of it. Admittedly you did have your favorite out of the family, and to everyone else, the difference was noticeable. Though you still thought your actions of precaution were just, maybe at some points you took things too far. "I apologize Tuktirey, I've acted immaturely up until now."

"Pänutìng you won't be mean anymore!" Her bottom lip quivered ever so slight, in a silent plea. Wrapping an arm around your middle, you started swimming towards shore with ease despite the added weight. "I pänuting Tuktirey, kindness and respect shall be shown to your family by me from now on."

pänuting - promise

Eclipse over took the sky's bright and shining blues, now exchanging them for dark contrasting purples lined with thousands of stars. Both you and Tuk admired Eywa's enchanting sky view causing your voyage to take much longer than intended. Upon arrival, you notice the Sully's in their usual circle—minus one of course, deciding that your distance was close enough. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways young warrior."

"Come join us for dinner, they won't mind trust me!" Tuk began pulling you closer towards her home, you retracted yourself from her surprisingly vice grip on your arm. "No Tuktirey, I must leave for home myself soon—may eywa grant you peace."

"Goodnight ____." Tuk's pace turned into a fast jog as she approached her family's marui, "see you tomorrow!" You watched as she was immediately greeted by the others, showered with affection after she'd technically disappeared for nearly an entire day, cooing you watched the scene only a moment before the ocean called out your name in whisperers. Allowing herself to sucome to Eywa's waters.

Neteyam soon departed from his shared marui pod, eyes scanning around the dark in search of something—or rather—someone. Ah, he thinks, there you are. "Neteyam? What are you doing, sit. Dinner will be fixed soon." He paused at the entrance, with half his body already out, Neteyam turned to look at his mother pleadingly. "Uh, I'll be back soon, don't wait to eat."

Venturing out of his home at a rather quickened pace, Neteyam nearly tripped over himself to get to you, praying that the slip up went unnoticed.  "____" He called softly, possible the softest he ever would to anyone, so much he'd doubt you'd heard him.

Your ear twitched—you heard him— but the rest of your body remained unmoving. You'd submerge yourself barely waist length into the water, your arms outstretched to feel the bioluminescent squid which swam in circles around you as if you were born one of their own.

Neteyam ungracefully joined alongside by you in the ocean waves that pushed against his body, not only causing him to nearly lose his footing but also scare away your marine life.  "Oh! I truly meant no harm—" You interrupted his apology with a deep groan, silencing yourself by dragging two hands down your face, muffling the next words you spoke. "Eywa give me strength."

He'd really done it now, embarrassing himself not only once but twice in front of you of all na'vi. It's as if he lost all sense in your presence, who could recover from this? "Worry not, brother of Tuktirey, you are not completely to blame for your clumsiness. I am at fault too."

Neteyam lowered his own posture send you a look of surprise, you'd never said something like this to him. "Your sister has made me realize the error of my ways." Your gaze shifted to look towards Neteyam, leaving him breathless simply because of your stare. "I have been unreasonably cruel to you and your family."

Placing a light hand to his shoulder, you wanted Neteyam to understand the truth to your words—your truth. "I am sorry Neteyam."

A toothy grin grew on the younger na'vis face quicker than he could suppress it, an expression of true happiness taking shape. He'd never thought four simple words of an apology would ever make him feel the way he did now, like an opposing force finally released him, now Neteyam felt ten times lighter.

"Irayo ____." Encasing his hand around yours, Neteyam's words were followed by a deep, meaningful silence between the both of you. So much so, you barely took noticed of the lightened squid which not only surrounded yourself but also Neteyam into a circle. What you did take notice of were his round bunny ears, that twitched too often. And every tiny syuratan freckles scattered throughout his face. Your eyes began traveling further than they should've, taking note of his arms, though thin compared to your people, had a thick layer of toned muscle. Wondering the tiniest bit lower revealed a noticeable vline—

irayo - thank you

syuratan - bioluminescence

"I-I don't deserve your thanks," you withdrew your hand from his hold, opting to sway them in the waves. "Tomorrow I will truly teach you the ways of our people, just as I always should have." Neteyam stopped himself from reaching out to hold your limb once again, not wanting to risk losing the new found sympathy, watching while you fully submerged yourself, causing splashes of water to land on him. "Alright. Tomorrow then." He turned to walk back towards the dry surface sand.

"Nìhona unil, ____" Neteyam's smile outshined even thr thousands of stars above you, hoping he wouldn't see your growing nervousness. Simply nodding in response as he walked away.

nìhona - sweet

unil - dreams

You swam with your head atop the waves, enjoying the simple comfort and familiarity of something so known to you—paired with the overwhelming presence of the sky. Tears breamed along your waterline, mixing amidst salty water droplets that already occupied your cheeks. To do this, accepting them, went against the very values you'd built to protect yourself and the clan from your parent's fate. As if you broke some type of taboo by welcoming them with open arms despite knowing their origins.

"Great Mother," you say breathlessly, "guide me well."

[scarletwritesshit]

🌙 Xiangli Yao x F!Rover 🌙 The Huanglong Moon is Beautiful, isn't it?

Rover trudged up every rickety stair and uneven mound on her way up to the wishing tree. The night was still young after the successful display of the Loong lantern, so there should be some time left for her to catch him before he retired for the night.

"Xiangli Yao!" she called out.

Hopefully, he would at least still be up working away at fulfilling any wishes that have been left under the tree since they last checked. Sentinels forbid yet another citizen silently voices their plea for a death sentence as a cover-up for what truly ailed them. The source of error and lack of wishes being granted may have been rectified, but Xiangli Yao could not take any chances, and so he had decided to personally fulfill whatever further wishes the people of Huanglong bought to their tree tonight.

Rover was very much aware of his secret to granting wishes, but that didn’t stop her from confronting him. Her wish wasn’t something that a piece of paper could do justice to, and it certainly wasn’t something a robot could fulfill.

Xiangli Yao was standing at the base of the tree, gazing down at the bustling festival out of view of the general public. From the gentle smile on his face, he seemed fairly confident that all had gone smoothly with the Loong dance and plans for the fulfillment of any remaining wishes. After what horrors she and Yao were subjected to within the Sonoro Sphere, it was a relief to see that the light had not dissipated from his eyes.

"There you are!" Rover said, dragging her feet the rest of the way up the hill.

Xiangli Yao turned towards her, and he smiled a little more upon seeing Rover.

"Ah, a delight to see you like always, Rover," he said. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"Yeah," she said as she was still catching her breath, "you still owe me a wish.”

"You didn’t need to run all the way up here to catch me. Signing your name on the paper and hanging it on the tree would’ve sufficed.”

Rover shook her head. “It’s something unfit for a piece of paper, something that only you, personally, can fulfill.”

Xiangli Yao was rather perplexed by Rover’s words. She hadn’t even begun to tell him, and she already felt herself slipping up. When she thought about it for longer than three seconds, the implications did sound rather questionable. At this point, though, there was no turning back for Rover.

Thankfully, Xiangli Yao spoke up before she could utter any more dangerously questionable nonsense.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

Rover looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Normally, one wasn’t supposed to reveal their wishes to others, otherwise, it would not come true. Should anyone overhear them, it could spell great humiliation for Rover, and unfortunately Xiangli Yao as well.

Plus, given the nature of her request, out in the open was not an ideal spot for any sort of confession anyways.

She glanced over the edge of the cliff to see that nobody had bothered to look up at the tree that towered over them. They were all too distracted indulging in festival games and chowing down on Moon-Chasing Festival specialties at the food stalls.

"Everyone’s preoccupied down there,” Rover said, grabbing his metal hand and gently pulling it, “We can sit by the wishing tree and have it all to ourselves for the time being.”

A little too, straightforward, perhaps? If she said any more, Rover would end up blatantly confessing the feelings she had for Yao. Any less, and it would only leave him with confusion, and Rover with more humiliation.

Xiangli Yao smiled and closed his hand around her fingers. "I can’t say no to helping a good friend with her wish, now can I?”

He turned around to once more gaze at the bustling stalls below.

“Besides, I could use a break from the excitement myself.”

A break from the excitement. Temporarily, for him anyways. Rover doesn’t get a break. She hasn’t had one ever since heard Yao speak those painfully sweet words for the first time.

Rover led him to spot against the trunk just far enough away from the edge of the cliff that nobody without an eagle eye could spot them from below. She didn’t see any stray onlookers around, or take note of anyone appearing to make the wishing tree their next visit. If anyone were to catch Rover in her current position, she would probably turn into a Gulpuff and have Xiangli Yao fling her halfway across Huanglong.

Rover’s body felt rather stiff as she was sitting next to him. She wasn’t deterred by his cold metal arm, but was rather frozen stiff from sheer nerves. Xiangli Yao was seemingly unaware of Rover’s rather awkward stance, as he was gazing up at the moon lost in his thoughts.

‘Rover,” Xiangli Yao said, “it’s been a while since we last had a Moon-Chasing Festival on a night as clear as this one.”

“Really?” Rover asked. “You’ve had Moon-Chasing Festivals…without a moon? What were you even chasing, then? Daybreak? Clouds?”

Yao laughed a little at her confusion. “Well, the clouds would often obscure at least part of the sky. The display wasn’t as spectacular without the natural beauty of the moon and the stars.”

Rover leaned back on the wishing tree’s trunk and took a deep breath, gazing up at the sky as well. To tell the truth, she hadn’t had a moment of respite where she felt as if she could breathe without any TDs or freaks on her trail. Only now was Rover realizing just how beautiful the night sky was.

“I never really had the chance to see it for myself,” Xiangli Yao said, as if he were reading Rover’s thoughts. “Most of my long nights were spent inside the research lab, in the windowless rooms surrounded by machinery and computer screens.”

He looked down with a glint of regret in his eyes.

“Even during the festival, I am working behind the scenes more than anything. At most, I am but a witness from the sidelines, having no one but Patty and Xiang-LEE to pass the time with.”

“You’re not alone tonight at least,” Rover reassured him, patting him on his steel shoulder.

It had only just occurred to her that his metal arm was most likely unable to feel anything, let alone her touch. Nevertheless, Xiangli Yao looked at her with a smile on his face yet the glint of sadness still lingering in his eyes.

“I’m deeply thankful to be with you tonight. I haven’t spent this much time with a friend since…”

He once again looked down and sighed.

“The display was a success, Patty was fixed, and everyone is off doing their own thing at the stalls. I’d say you’ve earned some time to yourself,” Rover said. “This isn’t something that comes around very often.

She looked up once again at the clear night sky, a faint glow of reddish-orange radiating around them from the festival lanterns. Rover hadn’t realized it, but the tension that was previously stinging her body into motionlessness dissipated. Her original reason for pulling Xiangli Yao aside had somehow managed to slip her mind completely. Mending the feelings of loneliness, the two of them were finally at peace, sitting together under the same tree and gazing at the same night sky.

Still, Rover had a lingering tinge of guilt that his artificial arm was unable to feel her touch. Inconspicuously, she stood up and walked over to Xiangli Yao’s other side.

“I can get a better view of the sky over here,” she said before he could question her.

Rover once again comfortably rested herself against the base of the tree. Her body settled against the side of Xiangli Yao, but he seemed to hardly mind at all. Whether or not it was intended or subconscious, he adjusted himself to be more comfortable next to her, gently enough to not force her off.

“…I’ve been so engulfed in my research that I haven’t bothered to stop and cherish the little things such as this; something as simple as gazing at the moon with dear friend. It’s nice. I wish I could do this more often,” he said.

“Despite all of our unanswered questions that still remain, it brings me a feeling of peace…and comfort,” Rover said.

“Ah…the moon truly is beautiful, isn’t it?” Xiangli Yao said, completely enamored of the night sky, at least, that’s what he looked like to Rover at first glance when she turned to look at him.

She could see the reflection of the moon and the stars twinkling in his eyes. They were filled with a gentle warmth that warmed her soul on this cool night. Or maybe that warmth Rover was feeling was, in actuality, her face turning red. Regardless of the answer, it was hard not to feel at ease around a soul as kind and gentle as Yao.

“Beautiful indeed,” Rover said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xiangli Yao noticed that she was looking at him when she said that, and not up at the moon. The fleeting thought of Rover directing her “beautiful” comment towards him and not at the sky abruptly set his heart aflutter. For having spent so much time in self-inflicted isolation while forbidding himself from forming any deep, personal bonds, this sort of feeling was all too new to him.

Xiangli Yao can recall the exact moment that this all had started; right when she showed him simple, genuine kindness. No comment about being a renowned researcher, no comment requesting any form of help, nothing. Rover treated him as an equal, not needing any reason to greet him with a smile. He wondered, just how long has it been since he last met someone this genuine?

Has he ever been treated with any real affection at all?

It really seemed like the most basic of gestures, but Xiangli Yao couldn’t help himself falling for a girl who didn’t need a reason to smile when she saw him. He almost felt the need, the desperation, the clinginess that he had managed to keep repressed for so long. He looked away from Rover, in an attempt to save himself the shame of alluding to what he felt within.

“So…about my wish,” Rover said.

“Oh, right. You never did tell me what it was. Helping you make it come true is the least I can do as thanks for all of the trouble you went through for me.”

“It’s not really a matter of you having to help me, but it’s more like…if you want to.”

Rover took a deep breath.

“My wish is to be with you forever.”

“F-forever?” he said, completely caught off guard. “You wish to be with someone who can’t even maintain a singular friendship? Clearly, you don’t know what problems you’re setting yourself up for.”

“I know that isn’t true, Yao. I’ve seen it for myself firsthand. You don’t have to force yourself to go through everything alone.”

Rover placed her hand on top of his, and gently curled her fingers around Xiangli Yao’s hand. It had suddenly occurred to him that his prosthetic arm couldn’t truly feel the sensation of Rover’s touch. If he may confess, the softness of Rover’s hand felt…quite nice. The most warmth he had ever felt from another human came from the accidental run-in with colleagues within the laboratory. This was absolutely nothing like that. It was pleasant. It was intimate. It was all that he could ever ask for.

Would it be selfish of him to accept her love? Theoretically, if he was greedy for caring about one singular friend of his, then that would make Rover far worse than him: a blatant falsehood.

“…Even… if it’s just together as friends,” she continued.

“Rover, would you by any chance, consider…being more than just friends?”

“Consider? Why, it’s something I’ve had my heart set on ever since I first met you.”

“Surely, I can’t be all that,” Xiangli Yao said with a sigh, trying to inch himself away from Rover.

She refused to let him budge, as she gently held his hand tighter.

“Part of you is made of metal when you have the softest heart of any man I’ve met,” Rover said.

“Your kindness remains unmatched, Rover, going out of your way to help a lonesome man out of the goodness of your heart.”

“It’s impossible for me to resist the biggest sweetheart in Huanglong.”

“Ah…you flatter me, truly.”

“I mean it, Yao.”

“I…I thank you,” he said, losing track of his words. “I wish I could better express how much this genuinely means to me.”

Xiangli Yao went silent for a brief moment.

“And… thank you… for fulfilling my wish in return, Rover,” he continued.

"You never told me that you had a wish yourself. I don’t think I’ve even done anything of note for you personally," Rover said, a little surprised.

"You’ve done plenty for me, going as far as to fulfill a wish I deemed far too selfish to share with the world."

"And what would that be?"

"For you to love me as much as I love you.”

[midnightsun-if]

I’ve gotten a couple more asks in my inbox since the previous one last night that caused everything— I hesitate to call any of this discourse because I don’t want to sound dramatic— but I’d like to make this all-in-one post, that’ll be going in the FAQ, to settle this. Hopefully, I won’t get too harsh, and I apologize in advance if I do, or if I sound angry/annoyed, I’m just trying to stand firm, as I’ve previously mentioned, when it comes to this topic.

I’ll put the entirety of this underneath the cut— as I don’t wish to subject people who don’t wish to read it to the long post.

(I’ve shared screenshots beneath the cut… So, warning to anyone who may not like to see those when regarding this topic.)

I’d like to begin this by stating that I’m only annoyed, or somewhat vexed rather, with the ones that actually sent me these asks— I’m well aware a good majority of them are trolls, at least I hope, but I still felt like this would be a good time to simply collect them, make a one-and-done post, and then (hopefully) move on from this subject. As I’m, and I’m sure all of you, are tired of this topic— especially since it seems like a fairly cut and dry one to understand in the grand scheme of things.

Now I’d also like to say if you’d like to send me questions about expanding on Scarlett and/or Koda’s sexuality— what it means to them, why I decided to go that route, etc— you absolutely can! I’m more than happy answering them (though I may not be able to answer everything given spoilers). I’m not barring anyone from sending me anything, not that I truly could as free will doesn’t work like that, but I do hope this makes at least a couple people get the answers they need before sending in something. (And even if you do and need something explained a bit more? That’s completely fine!)

Onto the more gritty stuff…

Scarlett, and I’m mainly going to be mentioning her as this has been directed solely at her, but it also applies to Koda as well, is not a character simply for you all to romance, to have sex with, to be arm candy, etc. I’m well aware that’s not how the majority of people view her, but I thought I’d specify that regardless. She’s a character because of her own impact within the world, because of her own nuances, because of who she is… She works just as well as an RO as she does anything else. Am I excited about exploring her romance route? Absolutely. But, I’m even more excited about exploring Scarlett herself— backstory, personality, motivations, etc.

At the end of the day?

She’s Scarlett first before she’s the MCs anything.

Below are a couple of asks that I’ve received on this topic (older):

I saved these when I first got them because I was truly baffled by them and wanted to show my friend to see if I should do anything about it (just decided to delete them)…

Again, I’m aware these are more than likely nothing more than trolls, but I’ve gotten at least a dozen of asks ranging around this topic, that I’ve deleted because I didn’t think it’d become this much of an issue that I’d have to address in this manner, and I’d like to say to anyone that may think you can do this: No, you can’t.

Scarlett is a lesbian. I get that may disappoint some people, but there are seven other characters to choose from when it comes to romance. As I’ve mentioned before— Scarlett wouldn’t be Scarlett anymore if I decided to just make her romanceable for everyone. At that point there would’ve been no point to change her from the original character I had designed to fill her “slot” in the RO Cast.

Again, this isn’t everyone and I bet this isn’t even the vast majority of the individuals that are actually disappointed by Scarlett not being for everyone.

As for making Koda for F!MCs instead? Why would I do that? Barring the fact that he’s gay? Why do your potential problems with not being able to romance Scarlett suddenly outweigh the problems that F!MCs would go through by suddenly having that option torn away? It’s gross to even suggest doing something like that.

Below is one of the most recent asks that I’ve screenshotted to showcase what I mean in general:

I’m aware that I’d probably get some more readers if Scarlett would be accessible to everyone, but I truly don’t get this notion that Scarlett is somehow the supreme RO above all the others. I adore her, adore her route and character, but the others offer things too! They have their own special nuances that Scarlett doesn’t (just like it’s the same for her too). Not even going to comment on the interesting RO comment, as I feel like that’s intentional baiting (more so than the rest of this message).

I also wouldn’t want to cheapen my own characters, as well as the experiences you all can get with them, for more attention— I’m happy with the readers that I have right now. If I get more? Great! If I don’t? That’s also completely fine too. Because, at the end of the day, I know that I’m making the story and characters that I know I’ll enjoy making and that you all would enjoy reading.

Why not just let them?

Probably because Scarlett’s sexuality actually means something? More than simply keeping her from all of you? Like a lot of individuals seem to assume (a lot referring to the ones that sent these types of asks in)… Again, Scarlett isn’t a character just for you to get your rocks off. If you can’t respect that, how the hell would you ever actually respect her? And if you can’t even garner that basic amount, why would I ever let you romance her? (Not that I’d ever change my mind. Scarlett is staying exactly as she’s meant to be.)

I apologize if I’ve turned off readers from Midnight Sun because of this post, but I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest as this all started building up. I truly do appreciate all of you— and I can sympathize with the people that get a bit disappointed at finding out Scarlett isn’t for them: I.E. me with Miranda Lawson— but that doesn’t mean I’m going to change an integral part of who Scarlett is, pretty much taking out a chunk of what makes her Scarlett to begin with…

I’m sorry if I come off as overly harsh in this, but I hope I’ve been able to make my points firm and clear. Scarlett, and Koda, are staying as they’re designed right now— nothing, and no one, is going to change that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[sentientgolfball]

Mushy May: Late Night Snacks

I made myself hungry writing this not gonna lie. I know what's for dinner tonight

Pairing: Swisstomrora

Word Count: 1503

Aurora can’t sleep. She’s been tossing and turning all night in this too-soft bed under too-soft blankets. She grumbles a furrow in her brow, hissing into the dark room. It’s been a whole week since she was summoned, obviously if these other ghouls were going to attack her they would’ve by now so why in the Hells can she not relax? She even has a lock on her door, completely safe from unwanted intrusion, yet her body refuses to let her guard down. She’s frustrated. She’s tired and she just wants to sleep but everything feels wrong. The bed feels wrong, the room feels wrong, she feels wrong. 

She’s sick of it. 

She throws the covers off her with a huff, shivering slightly when her feet touch the cold ground. She figures a walk will help. Something to get her blood pumping to convince her body that she outran any danger so she could finally sleep. She unlocks her door and opens it slowly so as not to make any noise. She peeks her head out into the hallway, looking back and forth to make sure no one else was about. It's not that she didn’t like her new pack, she was grateful for how kind they’ve been to her, but that hasn’t stopped the itch of instinct. 

When she’s sure the coast is clear she steps out of her room, making her way to the common area. It was her intention to leave the den and slip outside, the night sky is definitely her favorite thing so far about being Topside. Before she can turn the corner, something catches her attention. Aurora immediately presses herself to the wall, ears perking up to listen. She can hear rustling coming from what she can only assume is the kitchen. She’s caught between fight or flight, unsure if she should continue on and risk some type of confrontation or slip back into her room and slowly go insane. She doesn’t get the chance to decide before she hears a voice. 

“I can feel you. I know you’re there” the voice whisper shouts. 

Suddenly, though, she feels a lot more calm. She turns the corner to step into view of the kitchen and she’s greeted with the sight of the ghoul who was summoned immediately after her. Phantom. She really liked Phantom. 

When they see who’s there, their posture immediately shifts. They stand up from where they’re hunched over at the counter and smile at her, tail wagging excitedly behind them. Phantom liked Aurora too. 

“What are you doing up so late?” She asks. 

“I could ask you the same thing” they tease. 

“I asked first” Aurora playfully swats at them. 

They shrug, a tiny blush dusting their cheeks, “got hungry…I’ve never seen this much food in my entire existence.” 

Aurora nodded in understanding. While food wasn’t something she had to worry about in the Pits, she knows how hard it can be. One look at Phantom’s wiry frame is all anyone needs to see to know they had it rough. Though, now that they said something she wouldn’t mind something to eat. The food here was a lot better than the meat she could get her claws on Down Below. 

“Can I…have some?” She knew better than to just walk into their space with food around. 

“Only if you tell me why you’re awake.” 

She shrugs, tail curling around her calf “couldn’t sleep. Everything just feels…”

“Wrong?” 

She looks up at them. There’s a look in their eyes that makes Aurora feel safe, just for a moment. She nods. It’s all she needs to do for Phantom to understand. She doesn’t know what it is about that ghoul that makes her feel so secure. Maybe it’s the quintessence. Maybe it’s the fact that they were summoned together. Maybe it’s their soft eyes, the way the tips of their fangs always poke out of their mouth, the way they look at everything around them with such unbridled curiosity despite the waves of fear rolling off of them. 

She doesn’t know. All she knows is that when Phantom twines their tail with hers and pulls her in she doesn’t feel so wrong anymore. 

“So Aether said I could share his bananas whenever I want right?” 

“Right?” 

“Right. And I like the bananas and I also really like bread so why not combine them?”

They gesture to the sad excuse of a sandwich before them. It’s a strange mix of mushed-up and half-solid bananas stuck between two slices of bread. 

“I call it banana bread” They tear the sandwich in half, handing it to Aurora. 

If she’s being honest she’s seen other things more appetizing than this, but wouldn’t dream of turning down anything they handed her. They eat together in silence, ravenous little ghouls devouring the sandwich in the blink of an eye. 

“Let’s see what else is here,” Aurora says as she licks some banana mush from her claws. 

“And just what do you two think you’re doing?” 

Phantom and Aurora quickly whip around, hackles raised. Despite her smaller size, Aurora places herself in front of Phantom. She hisses with claws extended at the intruder. Swiss stares at her with his hands raised in surrender, a small grin on his lips. 

“Sorry sorry, that’s my bad. Should’ve made myself known, didn’t mean to startle ya.” 

She relaxes a bit when she realizes it’s just Swiss, but she still keeps her place in front of Phantom.

“Sorry if we woke you,” they say, eyes glued to the floor. 

Swiss shakes his head, slowly approaching “Nah it wasn’t you don’t worry about it ant.” 

“So then why are you awake” Aurora questions with more suspicion than necessary. 

Swiss shrugs “Never sleep good during the new moon. Now what are the two little new summons up to?” 

The growl from Phantom’s stomach is all Swiss needs to hear. He smiles wide, eyes crinkling. 

“Hungry?” 

They both nod, Aurora’s eyes staying trained on Swiss as he steps into the kitchen. 

“You know I think I’m feeling a little snackish myself. Why don’t I make us all something to share?” 

“Really?” Phantom’s eyes flick up to meet Swiss’. 

“Really really. Take a seat, I know just what to make.” 

Phantom and Aurora plop down on the barstools, sitting at the counter to watch Swiss move around. Aurora still feels on edge from the suddenness of his presence, she didn’t even sense him coming. She can’t help but think about what he could do if he ever decided he’d rather not have either of them around. She nearly jumps out of her skin when she feels a hand on her knee. She whips her head towards Phantom, immediately zeroing in on the slight glow to their eyes. She knows they can feel her anxieties, the tension in her body. Aurora can feel the same with the little bit of quint she has in her, but the expression on their face tells her that everything is okay. She scoots her stool closer to them so she can lay her head on their shoulder. 

The two watch as Swiss dances around the kitchen to a rhythm in his head. He turns the stovetop on, pulls out a pan and spatula, and rifles through the fridge for all the ingredients he needs. When he pulls the bread from the breadbox he can’t help but laugh at the obvious teeth marks in the plastic. 

“Well, at least you saved us some.” 

Swiss butters six bread slices, putting four in the pan at a time. He starts to whistle as he sways his hips, watching to make sure he doesn’t overdo it. He flips the bread, puts some cheese in between two slices, and flips the whole sandwich a few more times. He repeats the process until he has a full plate. 

“And here we are! A simple yet perfect midnight meal. Grilled cheese.”

He sets the plate down on the counter in front of Phantom and Aurora. They both sniff the air and Swiss can see their pupils expand in real time. They both look back at him, trying to read him to see if they can really take the food. He nods, smiling softly at them. 

“All yours.” 

Phantom picks up one of the sandwiches, sniffing it thoroughly before nibbling at the corner. Their ears immediately perk up, a small purr rattling their chest as they scarf down the rest in two bites. Aurora follows suit, eating just as quickly as Phantom once the flavor hits her tongue. Swiss watches them with adoration as he eats his own sandwich, though with much less fervor. He already decided he’d do anything for these two little new summons the day he met them, but watching them now just resolidifies it. He’d stay up all night making them grilled cheese if it meant they’d feel more comfortable in the den. 

“More please” Aurora demands once the plate is polished off. 

Looks like that might just be the case.

[eunhagal]

My holiday ends tomorrow and I feel like there's so much more of this that could be written, so I'm going to try just posting what I have so far. Not normally what I do, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If anybody's really into this, let me know so I don't just keep the rest in my head for my personal enjoyment like I usually do. I have a couple more paragraphs of this, but this felt like the most appropriate break point

Eunha knelt behind the girl, all thoughts but one fading from her swimming mind: An ass this pretty deserves all the pleasure I can give it.

Never mind that they had only just met. Never mind that Eunha couldn’t remember her name. Never mind that this was happening in a public park. Those were unimportant details with no bearing on Eunha’s mission.

The girl hugged the tree that she bent over in front of. Her finger pads gripped at rough bark in stark contrast to the fine, soft hands floating up and down the backs of her thighs. Goosebumps lined her skin, head to toe. Nobody had ever done this to her before. Other partners put her on her back and fucked her pussy, often without foreplay. But now Eunha, an idol (her favorite idol), was insisting on giving her a new, novel experience. She'd been seduced by Eunha for years already. It only took a few words to get her to hike up her skirt.

Eunha tried to make a whole song and dance of removing the girl's underwear, pulling them halfway down her butt, and commenting on how her pussy was so wet that it clung to the fabric. The girl, too desperate to realize it was a compliment, took it to mean Eunha was having a hard time, and reached down herself to jerk the underwear down to her knees. The quick movement stunned Eunha for a moment, but the unobstructed view of the girl's asshole quickly got her back in the right mindset.

A firm but gentle massage spread the girl's butt. Eunha loved watching the tiny ring in the center widen and lengthen as she manipulated the surrounding pliant muscle. The girl's whole ass was a joy, and Eunha would have been satisfied with playing with it for a little while, but she wanted the girl to feel the same pleasure she knew. And to that end, she kissed.

The motion was so soft, so tender. Eunha's glossy lips touched the girl's ring, pressed lightly, and she kissed. It may have been the gentlest touch the girl had ever felt, but it still sent cracks of electricity through her. She raked the poor tree with her nails. She couldn't contain her voice. A breathy moan crawled out of her throat. She couldn't remember the last time she'd made such a lewd noise, even in the comforting solitude of her own bed. The wherewithal barely struck her to cover her mouth. Eunha didn’t mind the dangerous sound, and continued kissing. It was the sort of kissing that would be utterly chaste anywhere else on the body. Something one could expect from a relative on the cheek, or a shy high school girlfriend on the lips, albeit repeated and insistent. No sloppy spit or tongue, just the barest intakes of air through nearly unparted lips. The girl wished that she'd been flexible enough to turn around and watch. Surely, Eunha doing this would be the most beautiful sight.

Eunha backed away. The girl's asshole was surrounded by a perfect, if moderately smudged, kiss mark. Eunha's lip gloss left it glistening and pink. Below, the girl’s pussy drooled to the point of drops falling away. Seeing that confirmation of pleasure, Eunha’s mind threatened to shut down. She wanted to give the girl more. She wanted the girl to know everything she knew herself about tongues and fingers and so many other things that brought her bliss. She wanted to share that bliss, get completely lost in it with this girl she didn’t even know until they both melted away.

Though she retained some amount of control, Eunha really couldn’t help herself.

[auburnitzy]

☆ MUSIC PLAYLIST (LINK) ☆

PERSONALITY & QUIRKS

Nawa has a tendency to be a pushover to the point of doing things she doesn't want to do (like Tang persuading her to pay his debt to Pigsy, which she almost did if not for Mei and MK's intervention.) She's working on this, and will try to stand up for herself more.

Her tail frequently betrays her, and wags whenever she's happy.

The horns on her head are sensitive, sharp, and considered sacred. Absolutely no one except for the wearer, significant other, or future children, may touch them. (Funnily enough, she lets MK hold on to them whenever she gives him piggyback rides.)

FAQ (More questions will be added soon!)

"Why did her hair turn white and why is she so tall now?"

After MK successfully convinces her not to be ashamed of her heritage, that she musn't handle all her problems on her own and to embrace all of herself including her imperfection, Nawa began to accept Bakunawa's side, causing her to be more in tune with Haliya's side. For a month, Nawa gained a growth spurt and grew taller than MK, but not taller than Sandy.

"What are those whiskers below her fins?"

Those are actually barbels! They're inspired by catfishes in real life.

"What kind of dragon is she?"

A Bakunawa! They are a (sea) serpent-like dragon in Philippine Mythology.

"What's that charm on her chest?"

A replacement of the bell gifted by the Traffic Light Trio (mostly Red Son, who forged it.) It doesn't ring or put Nawa in pain like the bell, but it's been blessed by Tang to stabilize her emotions when needed.

VIEWS ON OTHERS:

MK

"It is no secret that the moon has no light of her own, but is, as it were, a mirror, receiving brightness from the influence of the sun."

- Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

In general, Nawa looks up to him (and fancies him, too.) She's grateful of all the things he's done for her, and always finds herself distracted whenever he talks.

Nawa strives to be like him.

Since MK encouraged her to be more open and true to her feelings, she's becoming more affectionate towards him. Because of this, Nawa frequently gravitates towards him.

Regardless of MK's positive impact on regarding her trauma, Nawa still hasn't shaken off her tendency to become MK's living meat-shield whenever he gets in danger. She has no self-preservation and is reckless when it comes to him and doesn't care if she gets hurt as long as she can keep MK safe.

She also has a bad habit of doing everything he suggests or tells her to do.

Overall, a huge simp for him.

MEI

Nawa finds that Mei is one of the only people she can depend on. Mei is often affectionate with her friends and makes frequent contact with Nawa (like hugging), which brings the latter comfort (because Nawa is touch-starved.) Even though Nawa thinks Mei is a good friend and greatly appreciates her, Nawa doesn't like the fact that she frequently falls victim to Mei's teasing.

Nawa won't admit it, but Mei reminds her of her late sister. She has mistakenly called her Hiraya once, and let's just say that that opened a can of worms that leads to Nawa locking herself in her home once.

RED SON

Because of her tendency to be a pushover, her and Red Son find it hard to get along. Nawa views Red Son as being too harsh while Red Son views Nawa as a naive doormat.

It also doesn't help that they are from opposite elements, which are usually enemies in stories.

Despite their personalities not mixing well, Red Son still respects her and Nawa vice versa, even encouraging her to be more asserting, and Nawa teaching him how to be more considerate of other's feelings. They kind of balance each other out.

PIGSY & TANG

Nawa is always respectful and polite towards them, but is also nervous. Since MK views Pigsy (and Tang) as his parents, Nawa strives to leave a good impression on them, hoping that they would approve of her.

Pigsy has told her multiple times to relax, but Nawa still refuses to listen.

Tang however, sometimes jokes about having her pay his tab, which leads to either Mei, MK or even Pigsy to become annoyed.

SANDY

In terms of personality, Nawa and Sandy get along well. They're both pushovers (though Sandy is less of a pushover than Nawa is) and have violent pasts that they overcame. Nawa frequently visits him for advice and for the company of his cats.

SUN WUKONG

The Monkey King reminds Nawa of MK, but is a little intimidated of him due to his fame and power. Other than that, they don't really talk unless needed, but acknowledge each other's presence.

Sun Wukong is quite curious about her, since Nawa is technically a celestial due to her heritage, but one that doesn't belong or come from China's Celestial Realm.

Another thing is that they sometimes talk to each other regarding devices that used to control and hurt them (Wukong with his migraine-inducing circlet and Nawa's bell that rings and gives her pain everytime it even senses a fraction of her dragon genes acting up).

POWERS & ABILITIES

Despite her heritage as Haliya and Bakunawa's heir, she is not a fighter. She is more of a healer and supports the team from the sidelines. Other than that, most of her abilities are are made of light.

Nawa has to absorb moonlight or sunlight (the moon's light actually comes from the sun) to sustain her abilities. Leaving her in the darkness renders her to rely on her magic reserves (depends on how much light she absorbed for the day), which depletes rather quickly.

MOON BUTTERFLIES

Acts as messengers (though they don't actually record voices or write letters or messages), the most Nawa would use them for is to be used as trackers.

LIGHT TRIDENT

This was originally not from Haliya's side, but from Bakunawa's. Bakunawa's trident was formed from water, but since Nawa is their descendant, Nawa can make it out of light instead. As the name says, it is a trident made of light. Even though Nawa possesses this, she mostly uses it to block attacks.

HEALING

It is what it is. Healing. It drains her energy and causes her to become hungry and exhausted if used too much.

SHAPESHIFTING

Can turn into a dragon, but that's all there is to it. It's smaller than Macaque's smoke monster form, or Sun Wukong or Nezha's large demonic forms.

KILL COUNT - 1

[crystal-siren]

The Lady and The Sailor (1/?)

Masterlist

Chapter 1: Familiar Faces

The HMS Exeter was unlike anything she had ever seen. The glaring difference between the pleasure yachts of her family and this warship could not have been clearer. While her family was content with their attempts to carry on as though there was no war, she could not find it within herself to do the same. It would be here, on this machine of war that Lady Isabella Harrington would be no more. In her place would be a nurse, determined to help in the only way she knew how.

She was under no illusions of grandeur. She knew well that this could be the last time she would see her homeland. Her grip tightened on her suitcase, her cloak stirring in the light breeze that blew in off the ocean. The gangplank awaited her, beckoning her onto a ship that may well become her tomb. Sending a silent prayer to the heavens, she let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding and boarded. 

The sailors she passed nodded respectfully, a gesture which she returned.They were young men and her heart ached to see their smiles. How long would those smiles last? The horrors of war would soon strip that from them, leaving only shadows behind. Though she had never seen action, she had encountered those that had and had become intimately familiar with the devastating effects of this new war. She found herself smiling back. 

Making her way to the nurse’s quarters that she would share with three others, she set her scant belongings down. The suitcase was not heavy, yet her shoulder ached. Resting both hands on the hard case, she took a deep breath and let it shudder out of her. This is what she came to do, this was were she was meant to be. She would make more of a difference here than from behind the walls of her family’s manor.

Making her way back to the top deck, she went to the railings that circled the ship. Having left her cloak on her bunk down below, she now felt the bite of the breeze that had grown a little stronger. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the crowds of well-wishers, some would be waving to loved ones, others simply came to see them off. Try as she might, she could not ignore the pain of not seeing her family there. 

“You are a lady!” Her mother exclaimed upon hearing of her eldest daughter’s wishes. 

“I know what I am, mother,” Isabella responded with a sigh. Her mother’s reaction was to no surprise. She had always disapproved of anything that dared to go against the rules of high society. The reputation of the family mattered greatly to her and in her eyes, her daughter’s decision was a dishonour of the highest calibre. 

“Then why do you insist on joining in on all that-“ her mother flittered her hand about, “nasty business. It is no place for a well educated young lady such as yourself. What will I do if someone were to ask after you?”

“I am sure people will have more important things to concern themselves with,” Isabella replied. There was no convincing her mother to see from her point of view. “There is after all a war being waged. The goings-on of one lady will fade out of most people’s interests.”

“You are simply doing this to get back at me,” her mother huffed, turning towards the window. “It is most unbecoming of you.”

“Would you be saying the same things if Michael were to come in here and tell you that he has joined up?” 

Her mother’s eyes blew wide, “he wouldn’t dare,” she gasped. “Besides,” she continued, having settled down. “There is no need for your brother to go.”

“Why?” Isabella asked, fighting to keep the sneer from her voice. “Because only the common man must fight?” Standing, she dusted herself off, her nurse’s uniform pristine and starched. “I had hoped you would come to see me off,” she said, her hands folded before her. “But now I see that you will not even look me in the eye.” She paused and softened her voice, “this may be the last time we see each other. I do love you, mother. Even if we have more differences than things in common.” 

With those words, she departed. 

Shaking herself from the memory, she turned back to the ocean. Subconsciously, her right hand came up and took hold of the golden crucifix that hung from a delicate chain. ‘Please keep my family safe.’ A small selfish part of her hoped they would offer a similar same prayer for her. 

Unaware that she was being watched, she nodded to herself and cast her eyes briefly up to the sky before making her way down to where the ship’s medic awaited her. 

As the nurse disappeared belowdecks, Tom found himself wanting to follow her. He had watched her from the moment she appeared on deck, he had seen the thinly-veiled heartache in her brilliant green eyes as she had looked over the crowd of well-wishers. Whomever she had been looking for evidently had not shown up. 

“Who was that?” He found himself asking anyone who might be close enough to hear. 

“One of the nurses,” came the reply. 

“Yeah, but what’s her name?” 

The sailor who had previously answered him, shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Very helpful,” Tom muttered to himself. “I guess I’ll find out myself then.” The sailors who heard him chuckled  and shook their heads. 

He never got the chance to follow after her. As the Exeter made ready to leave port, he stood to attention with his fellow sailors. 

“Do you think there will ever be another war?”

A young Tom Bennett sagely shook his head, “no,” he replied, pulling at the grass as he spoke. “My dad says that it would be stupid to have another one.” 

“I think it would be scary,” a nine-year old Isabella whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. 

“Don’t worry Izzy,” Tom was quick to say, scooting over to sit next to her and Lois. “I’ll look after you.”

“What about me?” Lois piped up. 

“Of course you too, silly,” Tom replied, “you’re my sister.” 

Isabella allowed herself to smile at the banter between the siblings. “Thank you,” she said, drawing the attention of both Tom and Lois. 

“Whatever for?” Lois asked, cocking her head to the side. 

“For being my friends.”

“You don’t have to say thank you,” Tom said, a grin forming. “You’re not too bad for a posh girl-“

“Tom!” Lois hissed, glaring at her brother. 

“What? I was being nice.”

“You won’t forget me, will you?” Isabelle asked, taking a hold of their hands. “Even when I go home?” 

The siblings shook their heads. It was Tom who answered, all traces of mischief gone. “Not every posh girl is as nice as you,” he said. “We won’t forget that, or you. Promise.” 

As is the tradition when sealing a promise between friends, they hooked their pinkies together. “Pinky promise.” 

The world was indeed very stupid, Tom thought to himself as they headed out to the open ocean. Why else would there be yet another war? 

~ ~ ~

Days on board soon bled into weeks. Isabella, along with her fellow nurses and the chief medic found themselves occupied with the various maladies of the sailors. Everyone on board knew that any day could be the day they were called to battle stations, an end to the strange peace they had developed amongst themselves. 

Whether she was busy with a patient or checking supplies or simply tidying up the med bay, Isabelle got the distinct feeling that she was being watched. By whom, she did not know, for every time she made to check, they were gone. 

The Exeter had made port a few times, the most memorable one being when a canary had come on board. Isabella smiled to herself, she herself had not seen the bird for herself but had heard talk amongst the nurses that a betting pool had started. Not one to engage in gambling, Isabella nevertheless found herself curious as to what the stakes were and soon found herself asking one of her fellow nurses, a young woman named Clarissa.

Laughing, Clarissa replied, “when she’ll lay an egg.”

“It’s a female?” Isabella asked, surprised. “How do they know for sure?”

Clarissa shrugged, “supposedly she laid an egg at Port Stanley.”

Isabella raised a blonde brow, “did anyone actually see it?”

“Sure,” came the distracted reply as Clarissa rolled up the spare bandages and placed them neatly on the shelf in front of her. “The sailor who bought her.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask just who it was, but there were so many on board that she couldn’t possible distinguish by name alone-

“Tom Bennett, I think it was.”

Her head spun around so quick, she felt a sharp twinge in her neck. Did she hear that correctly? It had been an age since she had last heard that name. But surely it was not such a rare combination of names, surely there were other men with that name, surely… “Bennett,” she murmured to herself. Tommy. She didn’t feel the smile that softly curved her lips. 

“Stay away from him, Bell,” Clarissa warned, coming to stand beside her as she straightened the sheets of the cots. “He’s naught but trouble, that one.”

The words of warning confirmed her suspicions. If he had been mischievous as a child, one could only wonder what manner of man he had become. 

“The only way I’ll be seeing him is if there something wrong,” Isabelle replied, “so you needn’t worry yourself.” Even as she said the words, she wondered if indeed he had been the one who had been watching her from the shadows. 

Clarissa merely hummed in response. 

Chuckling softly and shaking her head, Isabella gently patted her arm and made her way out of the medbay. She was sorely in need of a few lungfuls of fresh air. Even with the sun still high in the sky, the day was cool and the wind sharp. 

They were in the South Atlantic now, that much she knew. Making her way to the stern of the ship, she stood next to the flag with her elbows resting against the railings. Their mission was not lost on her and the fear was all too real, just the mere thought of drowning shook her to her core. Letting her head hang between her shoulders, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. 

Tom couldn’t believe his luck. There she was, this was his chance. With Vera chirping up at him from her cage, he made his way to her. “Fancy a bet, miss?”

She didn’t react right away, a few seconds passed before she lifted her head and turned to face him. She didn’t answer right away either, her verdant green eyes looking at him as though she were looking for something. A smile appeared as their eyes met, “you know I don’t bet, Tommy.”

Tommy. Not even Lois called him that and certainly not his dad. So why did this woman address him in such a way that felt intimately familiar? 

She laughed softly, “have I changed so much that you don’t recognise me?”

Tom narrowed his eyes, “have we met?”

“Only for one day,” she replied. “Fourteen years ago-“

“I can barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning,” he replied, cutting her off. “Let along fourteen years ago.”

“If you let me finish,” she continued, eyes glinting, “then I would have explained further. You and your sister helped me when I had tripped and fallen over the side of a bridge. It was thanks to you both that I didn’t fall into the water underneath.”

Tom watched her as she spoke, her words bringing forth a memory he had dared not dwell on. He remembered that day, he was ten and Lois was nine. They had been on their way home when it happened. The girl was Lois’s age but dressed in posh people clothes. She had been trembling in fear when they’d helped her. They had spent the day together before her parents found her. Looking at the woman before him, could see the features of the young girl, namely her eyes. He had never met anyone with eyes as green as hers. 

The nurse watched him as he slowly began to realise who she was. 

“Bloody hell, Izzy?!” 

Isabella laughed as her identity was realised by him and she nodded. “As I live and breathe,” she replied, “I never thought to see you on a battleship.”

Tom stared at her. Fourteen years had passed since he had last seen her and the years had been more than kind to her. Of all the places to see her again, in the middle of the South Atlantic on a battleship would have been the last on his list. Her hair was tied back neatly, with only a few strands escaping to play in the wind. “What are the chances?” He breathed. 

Moving away from the railing, Isabella walked to stand in front of him. Would he welcome a hug from her? Little Tommy Bennett and his sister Lois had been the only true friends she’d had as a child. Only, little Tommy wasn’t so little anymore. Had his sentiments changed? Glancing down at the cage he held, Isabelle smirked. “Who have we got here?” 

Following her gaze, Tom smiled too. He lifted the cage so that Vera was at eye-level with them. “Vera,” he said, “meet Lady Isabelle Harrington, or Izzy as I like to call her.”

“Hello Vera,” Isabella murmured, peering at the sunshine-yellow bird. “I’ve heard a bit about you, you know. You’re quite famous.”

“What’s a posh girl like you doing here anyway?” Tom asked, drawing her attention back to him. 

She grinned and looked at him through the bars of Vera’s cage. “I have my reasons, as I’m sure you do.”

“ ‘course I do,” he replied. Lifting the bag that held the money contributed so far, he shook it slightly. “Care to weigh in?”

Isabella raised a singular brow and folded her arms. Had he not heard her the first time? “I believe I already answered that particular question.”

At this, Tom grinned. “Third time’s a charm, isn’t that what they say?”

Isabelle bit back a smile of her own, “then you will have to try one more time.” Winking, she brushed past him. 

“Will you say yes the next time?” He called after her.

“I’ll let it be a surprise,” she replied, pausing briefly to look over her shoulder at him. Her eyes softened for a moment, “it was good to see you again, Tom.” I missed you. I’m glad you didn’t forget about me, not entirely anyway. 

She had disappeared below by the time he had murmured a reply. 

Next part

[how-queerious]

been seein lot of posts calling the cast weird for the way they/their characters are being with the whole "destined" aspect of callowmoore but like consider who does and does not seem to outwardly ship it that way.

maybe there are things and dynamics i've been missing but to me there is a clear division between which characters (not actors) are pushing it and which are not; The main people seeming to push for it are FCG, Imogen, Laudna, and Fearne. The main people just watching and not really swaying either way are Orym, Chet, and Ash. Here's my thoughts on the possible motivations for that from a character perspective. With that in mind, I have focused on the PCs here; I have all the love in the world for matt as a DM, but to untangle the intricacies of his character work in literally even just one episode at a time is a whole other post. Accidental essay below the cut y'all.

broad strokes are that the camps are divided primarily* by who has and hasn't had extensive adult romantic relationships. Laudna, Imogen, and FCG are all experiencing what seem to be their first real adult relationships, and have had notably, explicitly little experience with romance at all beyond that. Fearne herself, despite her age, also seems to have had very little experience with romance and love (remembering that casual or platonic sex is not romance). They have all been starry-eyed and naive about love in prior episodes, and Laudna in particular has a childlike view of it. To compound this, Fearne has been lonely the vast majority of her life, just her, her nana, and their companions of questionable sentience and willingness. Exhibited in some of the darker episodes, and stated by ashley (at some point), she is literally just learning how to feel as mortals do in the prime material plane. Many of us as young shippers were drawn to the allure of the "Soulmate AU" for a lot of the same reasons.

On the other side of the coin, we have the three opposed or neutral. Chet and Orym, unlike any of the others, have both experienced long-term mature romantic relationships. Though Chet often focuses on the sex, and Orym tends not to focus on anything if he can help it, both have shown in their character choices and interactions with people from their past that they have the understanding of mature and healthy(ish) romance. As a contrast to their knowledgability, Ashton has only ever been burned by what should have been love in the past, and has not experienced romance. They have spent their whole life fighting fate, and will continue to do so for at least the time being. He is just learning to let themself love platonically, of course they don't want to follow "fate" to a romantic relationship with someone as chaotic and beautiful and terrifying as Fearne. They'll do the cool combos with her, and he'll flirt and tease, but anything else is unknown territory in a field already littered with the casualties of their past attempts to trust.

Though they may seem to be pushing for this fated dynamic in a way that feels very off for CR, there are genuine and realistic character motivations for them to do so. Perhaps I'm putting too much thought and faith behind it, but I think the specificity of who is or isn't pushing speaks great volumes to the fact that these are all people who have a wealth of theatric and improvisation experience and knowledge behind them. They are all actors with more than my lifetime of hard work behind this "silly game" they play, and I think we ought to consider that.

[aurorialwolf]

hwhhehehehehehhehwhw guess who has another redacted next gen oc to shareeeee :D This time, it's William's daughter!! Exciting stuff Rest below the cut so I don't spam anyone's dashes

- Her full name is Emilia (aka Emma / Emily) Solaire

- She is William's only child, and heir to his throne, as Alexis has shown disinterest in ruling and Vincent has split from the clan

- I'm not sure who here remembers, but the fandom once had made up a listener name for William's 'listener' (he doesn't and may not ever have one, but we all thought that it would be cute to make one), who was unempowered, and that's sort of who I think her other parent would be, though this current rendition of her doesn't have as strong a connection to her other parent

- Unlike the other vampire children, she was not turned by her own blood when she accessed her core at puberty, but was instead born vampiric, due to her dad's Old Blood status (the turned by own blood thing was made up by me and is not canon, vampires prob cant even reproduce in canon lmao)

- So; imagine a toddler running at vampiric speed into the most dangerous part of your backyard. This is how William feels. He should be thankful he's an old blood and can keep up lmao

- I imagine William being a somewhat good parent, but I also think he wouldn't be up to speed, and would raise his children in a more old-timey fashion (he wouldn't beat his kids at all though because I say so), which means Emilia is very,, old soul seeming. Would fit in with the bingo ladies /j (she is a littleee bit modern but doesn't have a lot of tech and is out of the loop, acts a lot different to those her age, sort of distant? learned from William how best to be regal and stuff, so she's diplomatic)

- She has a very difficult time making friends because she had vampiric status since birth, and is not able to make friends with kids her own age easily (I mean, think about trying to introduce your vampiric 8-year-old to a normal 8-year-old.. thats scary as shit)

- She's the youngest out of all the Solaire kids, being two years younger than Adrian (the oldest) and one year younger than Vivienne (not Solaire, but associated)

- She's hella bossy because she's always had high status and has a difficult time seeing others as equals because she's literally never been at their level.. Portia (Porter's kid) and Adrian (Alexis's son) are her personal guards, and she makes them entertain her

- Portia is much less afraid to speak her mind, and does so regularly, to the point that Emilia reprimands her for saying treasonous things, lol, much to the chagrin and fear of Adrian, who has been taught to revere those in higher levels of the hierarchy than him, and begrudgingly goes along with all of Emilia's orders

- Emilia also has a hard time seeing mortals as important, or at all on par with herself, as she's always been immortal, vampiric, and she sees her and her typical peers (all vampires) as eternal, or at least veryyyy long-lasting, and simply views mortals as a blip in her likely long life. She grows out of this, with Samuel's (Sam and Darlin's kid) help, as he is part mortal, and helps her see the importance and power of mortals via the Shaw Pack, who is still aligned with the clan in the future (in my mind at least) though she's always still a bit high-and-mighty

Now onto the interesting plot for her personal storyline :3

- Once she reaches ~18, she decides she wants the throne, and conspires to overthrow her father. She recruits her guards and outside players to help her, so there's herself, Portia, Adrian, Samuel Jr., and Vivienne.

- Samuel only agreed because she promised that, if she came into power, she would ensure the safety of the Shaw Pack by devoting some of her people to protect them, instead of just using the reach of her power to imply protection (cough cough William), and yk, she certainly knows how to get Samuel under her thumb because it immediately worked lmao

- Vivienne agreed because Samuel did, and she harbours more loyalty to the Solaire House than she would generally let on, secretly desiring a place among vampiric peers, having been denied that since her turning.

- So, their plan goes as such; (let me clarify they are totally underestimating him and are overconfident lmao) - Samuel will take out Porter early, to prevent interference - Alexis will not be around on the day they plan to execute this, so she isn't factored in - They will catch William while he's doing his usual walk through the woods in his remote estate, when he is unlikely to have a way of contacting help with him, and is too far away from Dahlia to escape to safety - Samuel will be the first to attack, given his general magical prowess, granting him an advantage in distracting William, and a better chance to evade initial parries. He also has a source of daemon / demon blood, and will coat the edge of his sword in it, which will severely weaken William - Adrian and Portia will come up next, them and Samuel forming a triangle to contain William in the area, slowly weathering down his defenses - Vivienne will be taking her time throughout this to charge up a strong burst of electro magic, and will wait until the perfect opening to unleash it directly on him, hopefully immobilizing him, given that he already has da/emon blood in his system. - Then, they will surround him, and Emilia will come up, manipulating blood magic to keep him disadvantaged (since I hc William has formed the ability to control Solaire blood, and his daughter has also learned to do so) - Then, she politely asks for the crown, and should he refuse, they kill him (atp, if everything goes right, he will be severelyyy weakened by the da/emon blood and the lightening strike, making this somewhat possible) - Bam! Throne is taken easy as pie There's multiple possible endings;

1. She gets the crown without fuss because William doesn't mind granting it to her (after he's been defeated)

2. He gives them a run for their money but eventually agrees, but is not defeated at any point

3. They somehow manage to kill him, and she ascends to the throne with blood on her hands

4. He defeats them, and imprisons all of them, granting mercy but insisting on rehabilitation of some kind

5. He defeats all of them and is not merciful, only sparing Emilia and possibly Vivienne (given she's the least dangerous and not in the clan), he's a bit biased lol Number 5 is unlikely, 2 and 4 are most probable (depending on how well things go) Taglist: @vegafan69 @darlin-collins @kxemii @professionallyyappin @sereh624

[thestrangestthing89]

Mike Character Analysis

I realize there are a lot of posts about whether or not Mike is bi or gay and how aware of it he is. I think the show clearly explains what's going on with him if you look closely. This will be looking at his character from the perspective that he's has realized he's gay in season 2. This will be an in-depth character analysis some of which has already been said by other posters but I think people missed a few key points. It's very long - season 1 is in 3 parts starting below.

Season 1:

People who believe Mike is bi and people who ship Mileven have one key thing in common - the fact that they believe Mike had romantic feelings for El in the first two seasons and that their relationship was cute. However, this is due to the fact that people are viewing this interaction through the lens of heteronormativity. The male protagonist needs to be in love with the girl. There is nothing in Mike's behavior that indicates he has a crush on her, and certainly nothing to indicate that he's in love with her (they know each other for a week in this season).

Mikes behavior toward El ranges from brief periods of kindness, to flat out hostility. A good point of comparison here is Lucas. Lucas gets heavily criticized by the GA for being mean to El in season 1, but his behavior is not all that different from Mike's. They both lash out at her when they are afraid. And they are scared of her. She randomly showed up in the middle of the night when they are out looking for their friend who is in danger. She isn't explaining herself, (not her fault, she doesn't communicate well at this point) it's a tense situation and they are 12. Lucas's temperament toward El is impatient and he's a little more annoyed with her than Mike. But Mike is frequently shown to be exasperated anytime he has to explain something to her. He rolls his eyes a few times and doesn't always explain himself well. He's impatient too. His tone may be different than Lucas's sometimes but their behavior is pretty similar. So many people interpret boys being mean to girls as them having a crush. It's awful and sexist but I think that's why we see people interpreting Mike's behavior as a crush. He's occasionally nice. And to a lot of people it makes up for when he's mean. It shouldn't. Both Mike and Lucas scream at her during this season multiple times and try to get rid of her. But it's Mike who triggers her trauma with Brenner and continues to throughout season 4. And it's Mike who is viewed as having a crush on her and not Lucas even though they both treat her mostly the same and there are 2 reasons for this. One is the obvious one - Lucas is black and is not going to be viewed as the romantic lead by the GA. Even now, there are plenty of people who have a problem with him and Max. He is also criticized a lot more than Mike is for his behavior toward El for the same reason even though, again, their behavior towards her is very similar. The second reason is that Mike lets El stay in his basement. This is the only way his and Lucas's behavior differs. Again this has nothing to do with romance. They've known her for about 10 minutes at this point. Mike is showing kindness to her because she's a kid who was wandering out in the cold and rain and was clearly in trouble. This does not mean Lucas is unkind. Just that Mike is the leader of this group. He was also the one who put the whole search party together in the first place. So he takes responsibility. Lucas is also worried that El is going to distract them from finding Will which is a valid point to make. And we know from season 2 that Dustin's house is smaller and it would have been harder to hide El there. So she stays in Mike's basement. (side note: Another difference between the two is that Lucas, at the end of season 1, apologizes to El for his behavior and calls her a friend. He never treats her like this again. Mike on the other hand never apologizes even through season 4 and continues to trigger her trauma with Brenner. I don't think this is because Mike is unaware that he needs to. He shows multiple times through the series that he's capable of self-reflection and apologizing when he's out of line. I think this has to do with the fact that anytime emotions are brought into the equation with El they get interpreted as romantic by their friends and by her as well later. Mikes feelings toward her are platonic and he avoids having to explain this to her by simply not inviting the conversation to happen.)

Again, this isn't indicative of a crush. People let their friends crash on their couches all the time and he doesn't know her. He felt bad for her so he brought her home. The Duffers even say that Finn was instructed to treat her like a lost puppy he found in the woods. This isn't a crush. Mike interacts with El here in a way that shows emotional maturity and awareness. He knows she's in trouble and tries to help. At least as far as providing her temporary shelter. Because he is in agreement with Lucas that they need to get rid of her and focus on Will. They both come up with a plan to send her back to Penhurst, where they believe she escaped from. People don't escape from places they are safe. They escape when they are in danger. It's implied here that Lucas recognizes this and it's a large part of the reason he's uneasy around her. They brought the danger to them. It's worth noting here that they have this argument loudly in front of El without regard for her feelings. Mikes emotional maturity only goes so far. He's still 12. Within the first couple days of her being there, Mike is shown to interact with her in a different way than Dustin and Lucas. They both see a girl, where Mike just sees another kid. This is shown through their scandalized behavior when she tries to change in front of them. Dustin especially can't get past this. Mike on the other hand, just goes to show her all his toys like she's a kid from school who just came over to play. (She's also thoroughly uninterested in anything Mike shows her so the interest in playing isn't reciprocated.)

This is when characters start to directly state that there is something romantic going on. They tell us even though what they are showing us says the opposite. Lucas does the 12 year old thing and basically says "why don't you just marry her". This phrase is not only immature but the fact that the GA took this to mean Mike felt romantically towards El is stunning to me. This phrase is always said by a kid who is jealous that their friend is hanging out with someone new. And Dustin confirms jealousy later. Again, there is absolutely nothing in Mikes behavior to suggest that he feels romantically toward her. But we now have Lucas suggesting there should be. And both Mike and GA take that as enough evidence that the two should be paired off. It's worth noting here that when Lucas is being dramatic and gets down on one knee to fake propose to Mike, Mike is confused. At this point he has spent exactly 1 day alone with El and it's because Lucas and Dustin didn't help him figure out what to do with her. He stayed home from school the day after they found her to try and figure out what to do. During this time, Mike learns El knows Will and it's implied when Lucas and Dustin stop by after school that Mike spent the day trying to talk to her about this. Mike is confused when Lucas proposes because he knows that there was nothing about his behavior that would have been different if it was anyone else. Lucas's reaction is out of no where and it throws Mike off. And it should be throwing the audience off too. We have seen very minimal interaction between Mike and El at this point and usually Lucas and Dustin are there too. When Lucas and Dustin are around, Mike is focused on them and only talks to El when he needs something confirmed.

Mike's confusion is not because he's a late-bloomer. That phrase is problematic for so many reasons, one of which is that it implies that he will eventually have feelings for girls when he may not. But it also suggests that he doesn't know his own feelings and that other characters and the audience know better and are supposed to tell him what to feel. And this is the entire problem with Mike and El's relationship. Mike is always told what to feel and how to interact with her (more on this in season 3). Again, Mike is very emotionally mature and not nearly as oblivious as Dustin and Lucas (and the GA) suggest. Because we see this through his interactions with Will. He knows what he feels, he just starts to question it when people make suggestions that he's supposed to be feeling something else. He thinks he's wrong and second guesses himself, and then corrects his behavior to everyone's liking. But then we have the bullies. Who not only directly state that Will is gay but heavily imply that Mike is too. Troy only antagonizes Mike with his comments about Will's sexuality. Never Lucas and Dustin. And Mike is on the verge of tears and affected by this much more so than than they are. Not only does this imply that it's personal, but it also implies a close bond between Mike and Will. Because something had to happen in order for this kid to think they are both gay and to single Mike out. Now this could have simply just been they held hands when they were little or something similar. But either way there are multiple references to the bullying including Mike as well. Not to mention the fact that Mike is the one to fight back later. A thing Mike and Dustin end up dealing with the consequences for later when Troy attacks them with a knife, leading Mike to jump off a cliff (a significant moment that impacts his mental health the following season). His father also makes several passive aggressive comments about Mike being gay ("you see what happens Michael", "our son with a girl"). The family dinner is particularly telling. The Wheeler parents never once join in on the search for Will and are acting mostly unconcerned about it. They just don't want their kids out late. This causes Mike to lash out and say he's the only one who cares about Will. This whole scene shows how Mike is out of place in his family and very clearly sends a message - if he went missing would they even care or would they think he deserves it because of his behavior. ("You see what happens Michael"). So not only is it heavily implied by many people that Will went missing because he's gay, but that he's killed by "another queer", and that most people saw it coming and are indifferent about it. This is all what's being exposed to Mike while he worries about Will, his best friend since he was 5. A kid who he is very close to and similar to. So Mike is being told somewhat indirectly, that this will be his fate too if he isn't careful. Part 2 here