#is WAY preferable to 'magic crown that makes you ''normal'''

[powdermelonkeg]

Cheat code for writing disabled characters in sci-fi/fantasy without eliminating their disability:

Don't change humanity, change what's available to humanity.

i.e.: If your magic removes/fixes a defect or your sci-fi lets you select for traits at birth, that's changing humanity. That's altering a fundamental aspect that real humans live with, and distancing your fictional version of humanity from the real deal by cutting out a portion of it that your setting deems "undesirable."

If your magic/sci-fi aids a defect (like magic netting that acts as a brace, or a wheelchair with wheels that transform to fit the environment), then you're taking humanity as we know it and saying "wouldn't it be cool if we had these tools?"

Don't change what makes us human, change what humans can create.

Cheat Code 2: What kinds of aid to use to accommodate disability

Cheat Code 3: How to make your setting itself disability-friendly

Cheat Code 4: How to personalize your character's disability aid

[woso-dreamzzz]

Hi Barbie

Jana Fernández x Vilamala!Reader

Summary: You're Barbie and Jana's just Ken

"Has she stopped freaking out?" Patri asks, leaning in the doorway.

"What makes you think I'm magic?" Pina asks back with an eye roll," Nobody can stop her freaking out."

"We should just send y/n back to England. This is way too much trouble."

"No!" Jana speaks for the first time since Patri arrived, looking up at her with wild eyes. "You can't!"

"I don't think anyone can tell y/n Vilamala what to do but I'm happy that you think I have that power."

Your name was one that Jana had known for years. At nearly two years older than Bruna, you had been a staple in Jana's life ever since the two became friends.

You were...

You were everything.

You played, officially, for Barcelona but had fine-angled your way into a loan to Arsenal this year to help Codina settle in there. There was really no reason for you to do that. You had regular minutes at Barca. You were almost always in the starting eleven.

But you went anyway, just to help Laia.

Everything went well for you. You had Champions Leagues under your belt. You had awards from FIFA. You had recently been crowned a World Cup winner.

And Jana...

Jana was Jana and she felt like her entire life could be fixed by a simple smile from you.

Which was, probably, why she was freaking out so much as she waited for everybody to arrive. You were everything and she just wanted you to see her as her rather than your little sister's best friend.

"God," Pina groans, pulling Jana up and out of the room," You're hopeless."

"She's already here," Patri says," So suck it up and don't make a massive fool of yourself."

But Jana's not listening anymore, her focus entirely on you.

You're relaxed, leaning up on the back of the sofa with a drink in your hand as you chat with Paredes and Paños.

And...Jana's star struck by you.

Your hair is loose and unbound, flowing freely and you run a hand through it before taking a swig of your drink. You tip your head back to drain it all, the column of your throat bobbing as you swallow.

Everything falls into place as you catch her eye from across the room and smile.

"Ew."

Jana doesn't know when Bruna joined her but she does know that her best friend is looking at her in disgust.

"Stop staring at my sister like that. You'll give her the creeps."

Jana just sighs wistfully as you flash her another smile before re-joining your conversation again.

"You're so gross," Bruna continues," That's my sister."

"Yeah," Jana says," It must really suck for you. To be related to such perfection."

"I think I prefer you when you're not pining over her. Are you actually going to talk to her properly today or do I need to be a buffer?"

Jana turns to her friend, smoothing down her hair and straightening her clothes. "How do I look?" She asks," Presentable?"

"Like normal? I don't know."

"I'm going to talk to your sister today," Jana says," Properly. I'm going to be funny and charming and she's going to fall in love with me."

"You put in too much effort," Bruna replies, rolling her eyes," It's just my sister. She got her hand stuck in a pringle's can once. She's not worth the effort."

Jana ignores her, walking up to you just as Paredes and Paños exchange knowing looks and excuse themselves. In her head, Jana is psyching herself up. She's so focused on what she's going to say that she isn't paying attention to the fact that her laces aren't done up and trips over one, slamming right into you.

"Careful there, Jana," You say with a smile and she practically melts in your arms," I'm not around as often to catch you."

The next words out of Jana's mouth are a little embarrassing given Jana's position pressed up against you. "Hi, y/n."

But, thankfully, you seem to find it amusing. "Hi, Jana."

You're smiling at her again and all thoughts have emptied out of Jana's head as she offers her own smile back. You help her right herself but your hand on her waist never leaves even as Patri and Pina arrive to talk.

They both exchange mischievous grins and flashing smiles that promise teasing.

"How's your day been, y/n?" Patri asks," How was the flight?"

"The flight was fine," You reply, always sunningly optimistic," I have a great day every day."

Pina snickers. "Jana only has a great day if you look at her."

You laugh as Jana's cheeks flush. "I doubt that," You say," Girls like Jana always have great days. She's so talented and special. Girls like Jana never have bad days."

Your compliments make her feel like a tomato and she hides her face in your shoulder before immediately realising it was the wrong idea because your hand comes up to cup the back of her head to keep her there.

Patri and Pina laugh loudly before backing away with playful grins.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," You say once they're gone," Patri and Pina are silly sometimes but they don't mean any harm."

Jana's brain short circuits as she pulls away from your shoulder to look at you. All she can think of is one thing so she says it. "Hi, y/n."

You smile at her in amusement. "Hi, Jana." You brush some of her hair out of her face. "Do we get to have a conversation or are we just going to say hello to each other all day?"

Jana opens her mouth to respond (even though she has no response lined up for you) but Bruna cuts in smoothly.

"You two should go on a date," Your sister says," y/n, Jana's been crushing on you since you first met. Jana, y/n was never going to make the first move so you need to sort out everything."

You make a little squeaking sound in shock before you bat Bruna away.

"Don't mind her," You say," Mama dropped her on the head a few too many times as a baby. She doesn't always think when she speaks."

"It's fine," Jana manages to say, grabbing at enough of her brain cells to form a coherent sentence. She also grabs enough to realise that this is her chance to ask you out on a date.

Only...she doesn't ask.

She grasps your hand tightly and says," We will date."

It's horrifyingly embarrassing because practically everyone has been eavesdropping so now, the whole room is filled with laughter.

Everyone's laughing but you.

You squeeze her hand. "You're very forward, Jana," You say, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek," I like that. Okay. Let's date."

[dragonshoardofworks]

DannyMerMay 2024

Day 1: Insect/Anchor

The return of Little Baby Moth! (From last year DannyMay)

Something happened since last time the two of them met, so LBMo is reasonably surprised to see Little Baby Man Mer's new form... or is this just an alternative dimension iteration of LBM (by @tourettesdog)? 🤔

(Keep reading to find the answer!)

@pikakaistudios Little Baby Mer inspired me in doing my own, so Kudos and credits where are due!

More fanarts and lore under the cut because it was getting long...

(^～^;)ゞ

Prompt for DannyMay by @dannymayevent and MerMay by @vladdyissues.

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

Since I'm a serial procrastinator and I wanted to be sure the art pieces were at least decent/accurate, I was almost late (but thank CW that I did, because some of them had the wrong orca-pattern and I would have brought disgrace upon myself if I published anything not done right since orcas are one of my favorite animals).

That being said, let's continue the DannyMerMay journey!

Day 12: Time Travel/Seafood

My poor Mer-boy got yoinked temporalily into the past when he was still Danny (so even before the "normal" LBM-fication) and he's feeling reeeaaally distressed at the act of practically cannibalism that his past-self is committing...

(≧∇≦)

Day 2+4+29: Wish/Starfish + Wander/Night + Fireworks/Bioluminescence

Wandering in the night, some interesting encounters are bound to happen...

I wonder what would happen if you wish upon a(n alien) star(fish)...

(≧∇≦)

Day 19+20: Iron/Pearl + Pitch AU/Abyss

LBMer found a his rightful Crown (of Fire) sunk into the depths of the ocean!

But since it was rusty and forgotten, what better way to restore it than ghostly mother pearl?

(Works like ghostly ice, but it's an exclusive power of LBMer.)

(The Crown got bigger than canon, but he smol!)

Day 26: Shoes/Camouflage

They say that imitation is one of the best form of flattery, but when you don't want to get caught by a certain dimensional hopper (and be mistaken for one of his foes), it's the best way to blend in!

(Octopi can camouflage in ways that make you think that magic is real...)

ฅ^≧ﻌ≦^ฅ

(Little Baby Terror unfortunately got caught in the same "accident" that LBM did, so they generally prefer to stick together-ish in case they need help.)

Day 16+22: Glowing Veins/Courtship + Song Lyrics/Songs

I couldn't help myself and sneaked in some Everlasting Trio for the soul.

After all, LBM (and therefore LBMer) is still Danny, even if he has new form(s) and instincts.

They do incarnate the "Would you still love me if I was a worm?", don't they?

(◡̀_◡́)

Song: A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

(It feels such a Danny song to use, plus I checked how orcas court and while there's some posturing, they also sing! It felt only natural from there... >:3c)

Day 11: Mutation/Shell(s)

And finally: the answer!

LBM found this weird shell on the beach while they were on vacation, but when he checked it (read: nibbed it), it reacted and tooted a magical cloud that mutated our Little Baby Man into a Mer!

(The same fate happened to Dani/Little Baby Menace and Dan/Little Baby Terror, changing them into a Seahorse Mer and Octopus Mer respectively.

I've got a lineart done of them for another prompt, but I didn't manage in time to clean and color it yet, along with a couple of others... ( ≧Д≦) )

This has two versions because I couldn't decide which was better. @teacupsandstarlight suggested the first because of the transforming smoke around our boi, but since I saved both, I told myself: why not upload both?

For now, that's all! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

I still have some linearts to finish/digitalize/color, but at least I contributed to these two fantastic events, hope y'all enjoyed them and my works!

Hope to type ya soon! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

[door430]

Finally, after hours of designing and drawing and coloring, here is a full lineup of my humanoid designs of the AVA/AVM stick figures! Below the cut is just me rambling about each design.

victim: For victim, I wanted their design to be very business-esque to reflect both their position at Rocket Corp and their apparent preference for manipulation over violence. I gave them two gold necklaces and a gold belt to highlight their current high status in Rocket Corp. I chose yellow accents because of their intelligence and lack of fighting skill, which is similar in some ways to Yellow.

Chosen: I wanted to go for something a little more casual for Chosen, as I feel like they would want to settle down into a more normal life after the fiasco with Dark. The baby blue of their sweater also emphasizes their calm attitude. I put them in leggings to make their legs appear thinner, because Chosen is just an awkward baby deer with skinny little legs that can barely hold up their body to me.

Dark: The design of Dark's outfit is very much the stereotypical punk look. I also like the idea that Dark is shorter than everyone else but wears platform boots to appear taller. Their hair is a bit unkempt to give them a bit of a 'mad scientist' look, and the two curls on top look like devil horns as a reference to their evil nature.

Second: Since Second is the youngest of the sticks, I wanted to give them a somewhat childish look with the curly hair, striped shirt, shorts, and sneakers. They still have a collar though, as they seem to be the most sensible of the Color Gang. The green of the shoes is a reference to their powers in AVA 5 being green.

Red: Since Red loves animals and is the most childish, I wanted their outfit to be something plain and comfy that they could afford to get mud or fur on. Their hair is unkempt as a reference to their childish and impulsive nature.

Yellow: Yellow's design is pretty simple, as I just went for a nerdy/scholarly look. I debated over giving them glasses or goggles, but in the end I thought the glasses fit better with the rest of the design.

Green: I'm going to be entirely honest, Green's whole design is based on the 'Faces' short where they get an anime-style face. I thought a karate outfit would suit them, as karate is a very mobile martial art, and Green has a very mobile fighting style.

Blue: I designed Blue's outfit after a hippie fashion style because of their love for plants and friendship. If you look on their wrists and ankles, you'll see they have one friendship bracelet for each member of the Color Gang.

Purple: Purple's outfit is a mix of comfortable and easy to fight in. Their elytra are based on dragonfly wings because I thought it looked cool. I made their outfit similar to Mango's , as I feel like Mango's influence on them might also extend to their fashion.

Mango: I gave Mango a very royal look to match their crown and kingly manner. Their outfit is very flowy and probably not good for fighting in because of their tendency to make Purple do the hard work for them. Their cloak is blue to show their similarities to Purple's parent, and the lining is gold as a reference to their child, Gold. They have very little of their actual orange color in their design to show them slowly losing themself. The Galactic along the lining is a reference to their knowledge about Minecraft's more obscure mechanics and their use of 'magic' with the staff. Fun fact: it translates to 'no cost too great', because I like the way the phrase's meaning turns more sinister as Mango's plan goes on and they do worse and worse things in the name of avenging Gold.

[escespace]

Merlin and Arthur but:

All is well, Camelot is great, peace, harmony, magic is allowed, the birds sing...

Then Merlin, in a moment of excitement, either because he can no longer contain his emotions or perhaps everything has been so good that he cannot imagine the worst that can happen, decides to take a leap of faith. After all, he took a risk with his magic and Arthur accepted it; perhaps he should finish revealing all his secrets in the same way.

Anyway, A day like any other after unbearable council sessions and endless document review and reorganisation of patrols. As they close the day with a warm dinner and the silence of the night, Arthur receives a handkerchief from Merlin's hands itself.

It's clean, Woodsy scent, and neatly folded. It's not one Merlin has ever used (not that Arthur would notice those details). And the only thing Arthur could think of to answer after looking at Merlin as if he had fish coming out of his ears was:

«So... Okay, yeah... I'll give it to George when I see him in the morning. I also noticed that his is a little faded»

Merlin does not correct him out of shame.

The next day, although in his new position Merlin no longer accompanies the training sessions so often, he appears when usually end to give Arthur the water and some sweets that he get from the market.

«This is great, Merlin» Arthur said as he took the bag «It's about time you put your head to work. The knights will appreciate it when they can't stand up. I plan to get them fit as I haven't had time to keep them un check recently, you get me, right?»

Merlin didn't correct him that time either.

After a few days and much thought, I wait until the end of a meeting with some leaders of magical communities who still cannot sympathize with Arthur. The meeting was not good, they still distrust the crown and that puts the king under pressure so when only the two of them remained, the tension didn't help.

«What is this?» Arthur shook the object in his hand back and forth in disbelief.

«a book»

«a book... A book, Merlin? A Magic book... Are you kidding me with this, really?! Isn't the mess we just made with this enough for you, you want to make fun of it too?!»

«Arthur, I'm not...»

«"You idiot! I really should have taught you some manners before»

«but...»

«You better get out of here before I... Ugh! AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU IN WHAT REMAINS OF THE DAY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?»

And of course, he had to throw the book, didn't he? Fortunately, it hit the door as soon as Merlin closed it behind him.

The feeling of not being able to breathe, even if he was physically breathing perfectly, and the discomfort in his nose that made him blink more than what is normal accompanied him until he reached the forest, right at the point where I used to collect herbs. And as her cheeks became wet (strange, he would definitely have to tell Gaius if the symptoms that suddenly attacked her got worse... No, no, it can't get worse, he's fine).

«Hey, Merls, I saw you walking here alone, you shouldn't be wandering around alone... Merls?»

In the royal chambers, Arthur is now a little calmer, his mind clear, and he even started reading the book Merlin brought him. Surprise! It seems he might get a couple of good ideas out of it. Traditional offerings and ceremonies of friendship. He will then tell Merlin that the book is useful... Or he will point it out indirectly... Or he will pat him on the shoulder... Something like that.

But it is Arthur we are talking about, he cannot stand the noise of his own thoughts for long, much less the silence of his bedroom, so he sends for Merlin with a guard.Instead, they bring Gwen, who seems to be the only one who was able to point out where Merlin had gone and since the guards are chickens, they preferred to let her talk to the king.

«He is not immediately available Arthur, it seems he went to pick herbs» She explains after a polite but warm exchange.

«That hasn't been one of his tasks for a long time»

«He isn't tour manservant either and so his chores may keep him away at times when you suddenly want his company»

«It's nothing like that! I am his king, he is a court sorcerer. We have matters of great priority to discuss»

«Maybe. But he didn't look good and he needs his time right now»

«Has something happened?»

«I don't know, Arthur, something happened between you two?»

Look, I won't go into details about the feelings between Arthur and Gwen because this isn't about that (and my own opinion is extensive too) but in this fic things didn't evolve between them, But everything remains friendly and as much as Arthur values having honest and assertive people on his council, Arthur made it very clear that Gwen would always have the right to treat him first as friend. However, because of Gwen's character and political wisdom she has always been careful with her words, so it is a shock that she calls him by his name when she hasn't done so for so long.

They talk a little about how things went wrong at the meeting with the new magical community and what may or may not have been a little hasty with their reactions to something Merlin did

«What did he do?»

With a bit of a struggle he tells him that Merlin bought him a book related to magic. And once that comes out of his mouth he realizes how much of an idiot he is because his behavior was out of line and he just wanted an excuse to let out his bad temper.

«It's my fault, I know. I let my pride get the better of me and Merlin ended up unfairly on the receiving end. I felt unfit, but it was something against myself»

«You will have to make amends. It's not the first time, Arthur, and once you realize your mistakes the only thing left is to correct them»

«I thought I had grown up a long time ago... It seems not»

«We all have flaws. It's not something we get rid of when we reach a certain age or realization»

A bit more chatter and finally Arthur mention something interesting

«...And it's not even the first one recently...»

«What are you talking about?»

«I don't know, I thought you would know more with all the gossip you two do. He's been so thoughtful lately, not that he isn't always, but he gives gifts here and there, he gave candy to replenish the gentlemen's energy when I take them a little further. And George a new neckerchief, can you believe it? Not that he had the courage to give it to him himself, he forced me to do it, as the girl he is. I don't imagine he gave you»

«Arthur, Why wouldn't he give George a gift himself? The candy... He also gave it through you?»

«Yes, why...»

«You know, Arthur, we gain nothing but honor from being on your council... It helps us to have that prestige to get more work, me in the forge and Merlin with the patients. Don't you find that strange now he's so giving then?»

«It's Merlin, I didn't question anything around him»

«Agh! Arthur, a favor, sweets, and then gift specifically thinking of you, something you ended up needing...»

«wha... Wait... No»

«yes»

«but...I- I have to find him»

«no!»

«yes!»

He passed her before she could delay him and thought he heard her say something about Gwaine going after Merlin but he didn't have time to waste wondering what one thing had to do with the other.After all, perhaps it would be better if he found them sooner rather than later or else they would end up dragging them out of a tavern, right?

He knew quickly where Merlin would be, it was common knowledge that even when he no longer had to go out to gather herbs himself, that place was special to him.

He arrived in time to see from a distance something that left him stuck in place.

Merlin on the floor, sitting, red face and bulging eyes but smiling at Gwaine's foolery. Gwaine, for his part, is perhaps too close to Merlin. It is a distance that is common between that pair, but surrounded by nature, one kneeling in front of the other, eye contact; one hand on Merlin's knee and the other... PASSING A FLOWER ACROSS MERLIN'S FACE?!

The burning sensation that rises through his sternum is not like a bad digestion, it is worse, it makes him almost tremble. It doesn't help that your eyes are starting to hurt, is it because of the poor lighting at that time of day?

Oh My oh My, he can't fool himself, not anymore, no never again...

«He can't even see me like that, you know? That's why he doesn't notice it»

«I noticed it, Merlin, I always notice you»

Their faces too close to each other, Arthur is brave for many things but not for that, he wouldn't do that to himself, he wouldn't see it.

And as he walked away, back to the castle, he thought that he might as well be leaving his heart on the ground where he had been paralyzed, for he could no feel more than emptiness in his chest

[misguidedasgardian]

The Lifeaters (I.6)

VI. Christmas with the Malfoys

MASTERLIST

Chapter Summary: You winter holidays couldn’t be better, well… maybe they could, but still they were pretty good

Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (platonic)

Warnings: Cursing, magical objects, Mugglephobia, might miss some warnings, you got to know, this is placed in a very “high class” wizard society so we will deal with classist comments and other things. 

Wordcount: 3,1 k

Notes: Maybe i can make the ten chapters, no promises though hehe

You wasted no time in redecorating your room with everything that you could find that was of an emerald green color, like the canopy in your bed, you were so happy, and your aunt seemed so proud

You admired a photo that you had atop your dresser, of her with your mother, both in their slytherin uniforms outside the gates at Hogwarts, you looked just like her, according to anyone who had met her.

Your father had also been in Slytherin, but you had no picture of him that you know of.

Soon it was Christmass eve, the 24th, and you were excited for the presents, but also, for the rest of the traditions, you had been at it since the 21st, the log had been burning in your chimney, beautiful arrangements of mistletoe, pine, ivy and others were hanging from the chandeliers and over the doors, to bring  fortune in the year to come

It was a pagan celebration

You wore a crown made from the same plants, as did your aunt, as you had a wonderful dinner on Christmas Eve

“It arrived a huge cradle with gifts from France”, she said with a wide smile as she wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief

“Are we going in the Summer?”, you asked

“If you’d like to”

“I would”, you answered quickly 

“Great, because I need to test the creams I have been making in the lab”

“The ones that help with the recovery of the skin after catching Dragonpox?”, you asked softly

“Yes, exactly”, she answered with a smile. You admired your aunt, she was so talented and smart, and breathtakingly beautiful

Normally, you would be at the Malfoys for the 24th, but your aunt insisted to spend it just the two of you, maybe you preferred this way too

“So… is there anyone you like in your class?”, she asked with a giggle

“Well… not really”, you whispered sadly

“Oh no… I know that look”, she teased gently

“There is this boy that is cute, but he is a bit… of an idiot”, she snorted out a laugh, “and there’s this other one, who is also cute but… he is… very mean”

“Well, let’s just start by the idiot”

“I say he is an idiot because when they asked him why he was studying with me so much he blamed it on me, and said that it was probably because I fancied him, and it was because he didn’t undersnt it”, you told him upset

“No he didn’t!”, she screeched

“Yes he did! can you believe that? he is not THAT cute, besides… I don’t think he is an idiot because he doesn’t understand potions… but because of how he lied!”

“How is he like?”, she asked back

“Well, he had like.. dark, very dark blonde hair, with big green eyes that are shaped in a way that looks a bit sad”, you told her

“He sounds like a cutie”, she encouraged, “what’s his name?”

“Theodore Nott”, you answered

“Oh yeah, that rings a bell”, she whispered, with concern, “what about the other?”

“Matthew Gaunt”, you answered, and again she frowned, “he is very handsome but.. he is kind of mean…he has like chocolate brown curls, and big brown eyes and… thick eyelashes that flutters when he does something mischieving”

“Mischieving?”, she asked, entertained

“He put a exploding potion underneath the desk of Mr Filch, and his cat’s tail caught fire”

“Can’t believe that old mop is still alive!”

“Hey, she is a pretty cat!”, you defended

“I was referring to Mr Filch”, she laughed back 

“Yeah, I guess he always looks like he is going to have a fit or something”, you murmured 

“So… what about Matthew then?”, her sparkle in her eyes had dwindled 

“I don’t know he… is strange”

“How strange?”, she pressed

“We were carving pumpkins and bringing them to life, but he… brought him to life and then started carving”, you whispered the last part

“Oh Merlin”, she whispered

“And he is mean… to others, and bothers the ones that do well in class, like, if you study or anything…”

“Well, love you don’t have to be friends with everybody…”, she said with a simple smile, “and that is perfectly alright”

“I know but he is in Slytherin, and in all my classes, and hangs out with Draco and the others”

“Well, that’s the thing about first semester, some groups form, then they mutate, more people come in, a few may drop, and it will happen through the years”, she said caressing your arm over the table, “it happens, don’t be sad, you’ll have plenty of friends, but don’t ever doubt about protecting them, right?”

“Right”, you said surely

“Follow your heart”, she encouraged, “we might not be Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs, but Slytherins are fiercely loyal to their own”

“You are right!”, you giggled 

“besides, you can still meet nice people from other houses”

“They always treat us poorly because we are in Slytherin”, you said with a frown

“That can’t be true!”

“Sometimes it is, besides, Harry Potter…”

“Harry Potter is in your year? so it was true!”, she said with a honest surprise

“Yeah he is, everything is about him! is so annoying”

“How is he doing? in his classes and all?”

“He is playing as a Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team”

“Really?”

“Yeah and it's so annoying, Professor Mcgonaggal even gifted him a Nimbus 2000! Can you believe that? Is that even fair?”

“A professor got him a professional racing broom?, you are right that does seem sketchy, but cut him some slack he… doesn’t have any parents, he is alone…”

“Neither do I!”, you answered

“He was raised by muggles! far from magic, until he got his letter he probably didn’t know ANYTHING!”, she defended, she made you feel a bit guilty

“Yeah, you are right, but he is still annoying”, she laughed, “Draco hates him very much”

“Do you hate him very much?”, she asked then

“No, you told me to never hate anyone”

“Well it's true”, she answered back with a soft smile, “don’t ever forget that”, she muttered, you shook your head

“Can we open presents?”, you asked then

“Tomorrow morning”

“Aw!”

“Yes”, she insisted with a soft smile, “it’s tradition”

So the very next morning, your aunt and you were sitting on the livingroom floor, with matching pajamas, going through the big box of presents, so far you had gotten the set of this season body creams and lotions, a silk pajama, and a silver jewelry set, of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet, from a famous parisian jeweler 

The funny part is that your aunt has gotten the same things but in her size and tastes.

“Alright, this one’s from me”, she said, giving you a heavy looking package, it wasn’t big enough to fit a broom, and you were getting discouraged 

“And this one from me”, you answered sweetly, giving her back a smaller package

You opened the big box and you laughed wholeheartedly when you saw it, the entire official gear of the best French Quidditch team, the Quiberon Quafflepunchers. It was world renowned because the robe was hot pink, with small details in black and white

“I know you said Holyhead Harpies, but…”

“This is so much better!”, you laughed

“Remember when we went to that game when you were little?”

“With the french ministry of magic, how could I forget?”, you said fondly. It was one of the first and fondest memories you ever had. The best game they have ever played

“I had it autographed”, she said, grabbing the robe and sure enough, on the inside with gold letters were the signatures of the current team. “And it will grow with you, as will adapt to your size”, she said excitedly

“This is so much better”, you said sincerely

“Well, it had to be French instead, you know? our family in France are going to think that I’m educating you poorly”, she laughed

“You are not!”, you giggled, “your turn!”, you said excitedly, and she opened hers

She opened her present, it wasn’t much but you had make it yourself, it was a scrapbook filled with pictures of the two of you

“I love it”, she said with a wide smile, she looked at you and sighed, “I know you were expecting something else”

“No I’m not”, you said quickly

“First years are not allowed a broom and they are dangerous, alright? next year when you make the team…”

“If i make the team”, you corrected

“When you make the team”, she corrected back, “I’ll think about it, alright?”, she insisted, you nodded, “and a dragon… well… apparently, you need a special dispensation, ministry-issued to have one, even if it is small, apparently, just as easy as you can make them small, you can make them big again”, you laughed

“It’s fine, and I don’t think Umbra would appreciate a little sibling that could set her feathers on fire”

“That’s my girl”, she whispered, “how about we put this spa supplies for good use? we have a nice calm girl’s day until the ball?”

“I thought we were invited to spend the day”, you murmured

“We were, but they will have other friends over”, that was odd, it was, but you didn’t say anything as you smiled at her and nodded enthusiastically

So all day you spend it in your pajamas, eating delicious food, reading Yule stories, and doing a spa day. 

The night came pretty quickly actually, and even though it was more of an adult party, you were excited to see your best friend, and the rest of your friends. 

“You look so beautiful, my sweet little girl”, your aunt was dressed with crimson red silk robes, and you in turn, she had dressed you in all an shimmering white glitter dress, you didn’t like it, you felt like you couldn’t eat with this on, but she looked so happy to see you dressed like this you didn't say anything. She even put a big glittery bow in your head the same color

The chimney had been clean to perfection, but that was not going to be the method of transportation for the evening, she grabbed your hand and walked you out of the house, and even further, out of the guards around them, and then, you apparated.

You didn’t like it, you always felt like you were some sort of gum someone just grabbed and stretch, but soon, it was over, and you apparate in a hill, just feet away from the guards of the Malfoy manor, it only took a couple of steps, and then the huge mansion was right there in front of you, hidden from muggles and people who were ignorant to its location

It was roaring with life, you could tell, every single room in that house was lit up, and you could hear the music from even outside the grounds

You walked towards the entrance, your feet making a sound you liked over the grabble. 

Once you were received by a house-elf, the entire atmosphere changed, the loud music, and delicious smell hit you hard as soon as you crossed the threshold 

Something was off, you could tell because when Narcissa saw you both, she actually had a look of relief on her face. Hugging your aunt tightly and then her eyes thrifted to you, and lit up when she saw you

“You look so beautiful”, she said with a long sigh, kissing the top of your head

“We brought you something”, your aunt said, delivering a huge basket with your family’s products, “Happy Yule”

“Happy Yule”, she said back, promising your gifts for when you go back home so you didn’t have to have them on hand all night. Draco came rushing as soon as she saw you 

“Happy Yule!”, he said quickly, hugging you

“Happy Yule Draco”, and you offered him your gift you had bought for him

“Thank you, let’s go play”, he said, grabbing your hand and leading you away almost running 

“Everyone is here!”, he said, “the Notts, the Parkinsons, the Bullstrodes”, all pure bloods you thought, “You look like a snowflake”

“oh wow, thanks”, you said sarcastically, “you look like your hair had been licked backwards by a grindylow”, you answered defensively, he frowned back at you

“Hey at least mine was a compliment”, well snowflakes were beautiful

“Sorry, I’m a bit uncomfortable”, the beads on your dress tickled your belly and under your arms. “you don’t look like you were licked by a grindylow”, he looked like always, his hair meticulously combed backwards. “You look nice”, he was dressed in classical robes, with a white shirt

“Did you get the Nimbus 2000?”, you asked Draco, drastically changing subjects before your reached the others in the other room, he barely shook his head

“No”, that truly did surprised you, “He said that until I was in the Quidditch team I could get it”

“My aunt said something similar”, you muttered, that next year maybe

“I got like a thousand new robes though”, he said with a look in his eyes that told you he didn’t want you to tell anyone, “what did you get?”

“Just some jewelry, a pajama, and the best present ever”, you giggled

“Did you get your dragon?”, he asked, truly interested

“No, but I got the riding gear of the Quiberon Quafflepunchers”

“What, really?”, he asked

“Yes! It's still pink! gorgeous!”

“That’s awesome”, he admired, “but I thought you wanted the one of the Holyhead Harpies”

“The Holyhead Harpies had a terrible season and they are not France’s champions for ten years straight”, you mocked back, and he laughed

“Good point”

“And their uniform is pink!”, you insisted

In the other room, next to the Ballroom, there was another receiving room, which was nice as well, but today is where you all were hanging out in

Gregory and Goyle were standing next to the table with the snacks, and in the center, sitting around in the armchairs and sofas were the others of Slytherin, Matthew, Theodore, Pansy, Milicent, Daphne, almost everyone, Blaise was missing, he was nice.

“Basilik!”, called Matthew, a smile on his face and a non-alcoholic butterbeer in his hand

“Happy Yule!”, you greeted, Vince smiled warmly at you, and he offered you from his plate a chocolate muffin

“Thank you!”, you said kindly, and he smiled warmly at you

“Happy Yule”, they were all looking their best for the occasion, even MIlicent that was wearing a beautiful silvery “muggle dress” according to her

Don’t tell anyone, but you didn’t see the difference

Perhaps between older people’s clothes, they wore robes, and muggle wore separate pieces of clothing, but, in children? not so much for what you had seen, at least not in dresses

“You all look beautiful”, Matthew had a scowl on his face at this, his robes didn’t fit him well, you believed they were Draco’s, and he was smaller than Matt

Of all the people that were here, Draco never mentioned the Gaunt family, where they here? if Matthew was spending christmas with the malfoys maybe they were on vacation like Blaise’s mother

People started leaving, but a couple stayed, since the Manor was huge, it had many rooms, your aunt, living so close, wanted you both to leave, but Narcissa grabbed onto her arm and looked her into her eyes to ask her to let you stay at your request, so she agreed, she summoned with her wand your new pajama set, kissed your forehead goodbye, and promised to be back tomorrow for brunch like it was custom

Greg and Vince stayed, so they took Matthew to their room, Draco and you, on the other hand, sneaked to his room, to exchange your presents

He got you a beautiful jewelry box

“My mom chose the present”, he said carefully, you opened to reveal a beautiful song, and a small mermaid inside, brushing her hair and singing, the entire interior of the box was dark blue velvet, and the rest seemed to be some sort of a precious black stone, “but I chose the color and the type, see? I knew you’d like it”

“I love it!”, you said with a wide smile. He opened his own present, it was a pair of riding gloves, made with dragon skin, they were supposed to be the best ones for seekers, and you had them monogrammed with his initials in each thumb.

“I love them!”, he said smiling back, “the best ones in the market, the ones Roderick Pumpton uses!”, he admired

“You’ll need them to be seeker next year, there are the ones that grow with you, and regenerate when they break”

“Thank you”, he said sincerely

The door opened suddenly and the boys entered

“Are we interrupting?”, Matthew teased, “Are you kissing?”, you and Draco both reacted with your best disgusted faces

“No we are not kissing!”, he answered quickly

“Who wants to hear some scary stories?”, asked Greg, and you were not convinced, but you didn’t want to be considered a coward, so you accepted 

You shouldn’t have

You couldn’t sleep even if you left the door open letting all the light from the hallway into the room, fearing the headless troll was going to come inside your room at any moment, impossibly sneaking into the Manor looking for little children to decapitate. So you sneaked into Draco’s room and hugged him tightly 

The very next day your aunt came back for brunch as promised, and you were relieved to see her, but no time, in the daytime you couldn’t see headless trolls decapitating children, so you and Draco, with Gregory, Vince and Matt, used your new Quidditch gear to go play in the huge ground behind the Manor, where Uncle Lucius had installed the hoops for you both to practice. 

So your aunt summoned for you your new gear and your Quicksilver 2.0

You looked like a firework, with your hot pink robe flying around trying to score, you were playing all against Vince, who had to stay in the gate as a keeper

You had no snitches so Draco couldn’t quite practice his coveted position, but he was a fair good chaser, Matthew was too determined to hit you with a bludger but you managed to dodge them all

It was a fun Winter break 

[undyingembers]

TVTropes - The Homunculus Children

I got inspired by @the-raging-tempest's post here, so I made my own mock post for the homunculus girls.

In General

Adopted into Royalty: Much of the story’s angst revolves around whether the girls will inherit the crown if Daeran formally adopts them.

All of the Other Reindeer: Most of the girls have trouble making humanoid friends.

Artificial Human: Each girl was created using a magical formula and seems to start at about ten years of age

Artificial Family Member

Badass Family: What they become when they grow up. Their parents are also very powerful adventurers.

Cute Monster Girl: The girls are all homunculi and are rather adorable

Four Temperament Ensemble: Opal is Sanguine, Giselle is Choleric, Grace is Melancholic, Talia is Phlegmatic. Magnolia is Eclectic

Happily Adopted

Little Big Brother: Except for Magnolia, who is very small and is the second oldest, each girl gets a little taller as you go from oldest to youngest (Giselle is fuming).

Mature Work, Child Protagonists: The girls are cute, but MLH is just as dark and mature as the two works it is a derivative of

Our Homunculi Are Different: The girls are strange even by Pathfinder standards.

Tears of Blood/Unable to Cry: The girls can’t cry normal tears. Half of them can’t cry at all, while some of them have substitutes (Giselle starts running muddy water down her face, and Talia has sand dropping from her cheeks).

Giselle

“Anger is Healthy” Aesop: For her, but also for Daeran, who she donates her Anger Affinity to. Despite being the Anger homunculus, more often than not, there’s always a reasonable source to her frustrations, and the story gives her plenty to be upset about.

Best Served Cold: Poor Elisel…

Big Sister Instinct: Is the oldest, and anyone who teases her younger sisters will earn Giselle’s ire very quickly

Girly Bruiser: Loves clothes, frills, balls, and all the girly stuff. She’s also the heavy-hitter of the group, specializing in large weapons when in combat training. Her character class (skald) encapsulates this.

Girly Girl

Jerkass Woobie: The rudest and most blunt of her sisters, but she deals with a lot of internal and external judgement because of what she is and what she is made of.

I Just Want to be Beautiful: Is very insecure about being a homunculus made of mud when she wants to be a pretty princess.

Little Miss Snarker: Is able to match her father in witty banter.

Princesses Prefer Pink/Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Often wears pink or purple dresses.

Regal Ringlets: Has some pretty impressive curls, and her greatest ambition is to be a princess.

Square Race, Round Class: A homunculus made from mud who becomes a more ladylike Court Poet

Token Evil Teamate: Definitely the more ruthless and vengeful of the sisters. It gets even worse when she grows up and marries an unscrupulous vampire marquis.

Tsundere: Rough, demanding, and difficult to please, but she does care very much.

Unholy Matrimony: With Radomir when she grows up.

Magnolia

Alchemy is Magic: Becomes an alchemist when she grows up.

Brilliant but Lazy

Daddy’s Girl: Is very close to Daeran, despite their differences.

Goth: Wears black more often than not.

Feminine Mother, Tomboyish Daughter: A lot more sloppy and ragged than the refined and graceful Leonosa.

Lack of Empathy: Has difficulty with cognitive empathy due to her autism.

Strict Parents Make Sneaky Kids: Lenarius is a very strict parent. Magnolia spends her time going off and getting into places she’s told not to be.

Strong Family Resemblance: Since Lenarius used his/her own blood in Magnolia’s creation, she takes a lot of traits from him/her

Opal

Badass Preacher: Her character class when she grows up is a cleric of Iomadae.

Cheerful Child

Creepy Good: A genuinely good person, just a bit unsettling.

Major Injury Underreaction: Takes getting impaled in the chest with a gardening implement very well. She also recounts one time where she didn’t notice she injured herself on her way to a lesson and gave the instructor a fright when she walked in with her arm bent in an unnatural angle.

Plucky Girl: In keeping in line with her Joy Affinity, she is a very cheerful and kind girl. And too energetic for her own good.

Token Good Teammate: The only Good-aligned sister (Giselle is Evil and the other sisters are Neutral; this could also count for the family as a whole, as Daeran is Evil and Lenarius is Neutral)

Uncanny Valley Girl: The most kind and sociable of the girls. She can be a little unsettling sometimes, particularly when she doesn’t understand that it is not normal for a girl her age to be sustaining the injuries she’s had.

Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Has this relationship with Daeran. The only time he’s ever been disappointed in the girls was when Opal asked him if he would let her go to church on Sundays.

Wide-Eyed Idealist: Never thinks ill of anyone and is the only one of the girls to try to reach out to their grandmother, the Viscountess

Grace

Afraid of their Own Strength: Afraid to hurt someone with her spikes.

Cowardly Lion: Is easily scared, but was the first to volunteer to try out the Affinity-harvesting machine Xanthir and her mother created.

Fear is Normal: What she gives to Daeran when she donates her Fear Affinity to him. Also, much like Giselle, while she is easily scared, she often has justifiable reasons for her fear.

Flowers of Feminity: Is quite girly and loves to wear flowers.

Fragile Speedster: Trains to be a Slayer, a Dex-based martial class.

Nervous Wreck: Appropriate, for a Fear homunculus.

Plant Person

Cactus Person: Made from branches of an acacia tree instead of an actual cactus, but the effect is still the same.

Innocent Plant Children: She is a ten-year-old girl and acts like one.

Botanical Abomination: Her appearance frightens even herself when she looks in the mirror for the first time.

Poisonous Person: Downplayed. Getting pricked by one of her spikes will leave a rash.

Swashbuckler: A skilled fencer and a proficient Pathfinder when she grows up.

Talia

All Girls Like Ponies: Is very fond of horses

Big Beautiful Woman: The largest of the homunculus sisters and very beautiful.

Following in the Relative’s Footsteps: Becomes Leonosa’s apprentice and grows to be an exploitation wizard

Indifferent Beauty: Is very beautiful, but not really interested in romance or people.

Mature Younger Sibling: Though she’s the youngest, she is seemingly the smartest and most put-together.

Squishy Wizard: Becomes a wizard, and her glass body is quite fragile.

The Eeyore: Keeping in line with the Sadness Affinity. Talia is very pessimistic and is prone to point out the worst case scenario of any given situation.

The Smart Guy: Is very good at mathematics, formulae, and memorization. She is the one who trains to be a wizard.

[abubblingcandle]

Candle's Whumptober Masterlist

Posting this to pin before tomorrow as a tumblr place to keep all the links together

Day 1 - Safety Net

Friend Material - Jamie gets beaten up, lies to Ted about why he is hurt, Dani comes to try and help him feel better but ends up leading a seminar on the magic of friendship

“I do, get that,” Dani began. He kept his voice quiet and soft like he was talking to a skittish racehorse not a premier league footballer. “I prefer to think of it like a safety net. You hope to never need it but when you need it most it is there to catch you. Friends should always catch you when you need it most.”

Day 2 - "They don't care about you."

Snap Chapter 3 - Jane kicks Beard out and he calls Jamie for a drink together to take his mind off it

Day 3 - Broken

A Treatment Room Doors Moment Chapter 1 - What if Roy was the one to see James Tartt Sr throw a boot at his son? It would have gone a lot differently

Sometimes it is the smallest of moments that change lives. That moment could be catching a train or it could be viewed through the window of a Treatment Room door.

In one scenario, an American in London stumbles upon an old protégé in a perilous situation facing down his own blood. The American walks away, that moment is seemingly forgotten but it shapes both their lives in seen and unseen ways.

In one scenario, a veteran of the sport has played his last as the young starlet contemplates his future while faced with his past. One rescues the other, leading to their fates being intertwined.

We've seen how the first scenario plays out. This story follows what might have happened if it had been the second instead.

Day 4 - "You in there?"

Have You Noticed You Are Breathing Chapter 7 - Jamie overexerted himself the night before and struggles to sleep with the pain and whirring of his brain. Ted recruits David Attenborough, Henry Lasso and some cute hamsters to help him make Jamie feel better

Day 5 - "You better pray I don't get up this time around."

Maybe Next Time He'll Think Chapter 1 - Jamie takes in his dad after he leaves rehab but they get into an argument and Jamie hospitalises his dad. He calls Keeley for help and she has to deal with the consequences

The reconciliation between the Tartt men had been a constant worry in the back of Keeley's mind. She compared it to a ticking time bomb. You didn't know when it was going to go but it would and it never let you forget it.

She didn't think that Jamie would be the one to blow though

Day 6 - Recording

Dutch Courage Ch3 - Jamie starts to let other people in and return to life as normal as others realise what Jamie is going through. However a spanner is thrown into the works when Jamie recieves a video from his stalker

Day 7 - Radio Silence

Missing in Play Action - Ted leaves to go play in the MLS after Ted says no to taking him back to Richmond. He cuts off all contact and seems to be a shadow of himself. Keeley tasks Ted and Beard with going and checking in on him

Ted hadn't thought about Jamie Tartt since that ill fated night in the Crown and Anchor where he turned Jamie away. When Keeley wants Ted to check on a friend who is ghosting her while he's over the pond back in the USA, he doesn't plan on mending bridges but it's a good job he always has his hammer ready to go.

Day 8 - Overcrowded ER

Roll Call Chapter 2 - Dani and Colin arrive at the hospital. In the chaos Colin tries to communicate with Richmond but Dani has a bad concussion and needs his friend.

Day 9 - "You're a liar."

A Treatment Room Doors Moment Chapter 2 - Roy deals with the aftermath of his injury. Jamie deals with the aftermath of his altercation with his father. Corwin has to deal with both of them, the poor soul. But Roy and Jamie somehow find some comfort in each other.

Day 10 - Aftermath of Failure

Where the Hell is the Karma? Chapter 3 - Roy panics and tries to hold together the Richmond crew as the police search for the missing Jamie Tartt

Day 11 - Captivity

Where the Hell is the Karma? Chapter 2 - Jamie is taken in the boot of his own car by Bug and Denbo. He is locked in a basement room where time passes and he starts to panic that no one is looking for him. Because surely they would have found him by now ... Right?

Day 12 - Insomnia

One Step Out of Time Chapter 1 - Jamie panics when his dad gets out of rehab. Roy does everything he can try and get Jamie to just go to sleep!

Jamie thought he was rebuilding a relationship with his father. He thought he would be fine when James Tartt Sr was back out into the world as a free sober man. Jamie was wrong on all counts. Now Jamie can't sleep no matter what he tries and why is Roy being so goddamn nice to him all of a sudden?

Jamie explores his relationship with his father, his relationship with his Roy and his relationship with the concept of a relationship all while trying to hold onto his own sanity

Day 13 - "I don't feel so good."

Roll Call Chapter 3 - Sam contends with a dislocated shoulder and tries tog et himself to hospital. Colin struggles with having to be the responsible one and Sam battles the trolls

Day 14 - "Just hold on"

Maybe Next Time He'll Think Ch2 - Jamie is released on bail and ... doesn’t handle it well. Keeley overworks. Beard is the only rational person in this whole house and Doc Sharon sets everyone on the right path

Day 15 - "I'm fine."

Snap Chapter 5 - Jamie calls a meeting but Beard struggles with always being the bridesmaid to Ted's bride after Ted's funeral based breakdown

Day 16 - "Just lie with me and forget the world"

Make Me Fret Chapter 4 - Jamie is released from hospital and has to hide out at Roy's to avoid the vultures. Rupert loses everything but still tries to turn his army of keyboard wankers on Jamie. All Jamie wants is to get back out on the pitch and prove everyone wrong

Day 17 - "Leave me alone"

Like a Black Hole - Jamie's POV of his return to Man City as he implodes

Jamie really feels like he's turned a corner at AFC Richmond and maybe this is his chance to grow like Ted wanted him to.

Then the rug gets pulled out from underneath him

Day 18 - "I tend to deflect when I am feeling threatened"

Snap Chapter 4 - Jamie is getting fed up of being the Richmond whipping boy and wants to be able to snark back ... but he's worried about finding the line between banter and prickdom

Day 19 - "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Forgetting How These Things Always Go - Jamie is still around Richmond for Nate's tough love speech and gets teased for being a "weak little baby". He doesn't take it well

Roy doesn't know what to think when the kitman starts roasting the team he works for with the permission of their coach. But the one thing he does know is Jamie does not react to it well

Day 20 - Found Family

It Takes a Village (or a Professional Football Team) - Roy is ill and cannot attend Phoebe's Cup Final. Jamie organises it so that Roy can watch and the whole Richmond crew come down to support her

Roy Kent is sick, Ruth O'Sullivan is at work, Phoebe O'Sullivan has a very important cup final. With both of Jamie's favourite Kents sad, he needs to come up with a plan to make sure this day is the best it can be. This is a job for Uncle Jamie.

Day 21 - Restraints

Where the Hell is the Karma? Chapter 1 - Jamie is kidnapped by Bug and Denbo when they try to rob his house to get money

He had been at Ola’s with Sam. Sam was one of the only teammates that had stayed in London and was just doing admin at the restaurant so Jamie, being the clingy little shit he was, just went to go bless Sam with his presence. It was late when the taxi pulled up and Jamie was tired and ready for bed. He unlocked his door, turned to bolt it and then black.

Bug and Denbo look for an easy pay day robbing the son of their friend and end up with Jamie in peril, none of his friends aware enough to help and no one with a clue how to get out of this situation with their sanity, limbs and freedom intact

Day 22 - Vehicular Accident

Roll Call Chapter 1 - The Richmond team bus is involved in a major collision. Colin is the least hurt of all the first team and has to deal with the aftermath

Colin heard the accident before he saw it. “Fucking idiot,” Jeff cursed from the back of the bus. Before Colin could turn there was an almighty crunch followed by an ear-splitting tearing sound. Colin’s head snapped to the side with a jerk and he felt weightless for a moment. Time slowed. The bus skidded.

AFC Richmond end up in a bus accident on the way to a game and Colin has to contend with the near death of his closest friends

Day 23 - Stalking

Dutch Courage Chapter 1 - Jamie has been dealing with having a stalker. Everyone tells him it is fine apart from Jan Maas who takes him home to keep him safe.

Jan Maas is well aware of the ways his teammates can be idiots but this was a new low. Sitting around assuming everything would be ok when a crazed fan has been following your every moment and apparently knows where you live ... Jamie had lost his mind!

Day 24 - Neglect

Gonna Know My Name Chapter 1 - Baby!Jamie meets his hero Roy Kent realising that he is his best friend's uncle. Roy starts to learn a bit more about Jamie and gets suspicious of his home life

Roy Kent meets a child prodigy at his outreach day at Phoebe's school and is immediately fascinated with his niece's new best friend. When it turns out the young family is struggling, Roy can relate more than they think and decides to lend a hand adding to his small family.

Day 25 - Panic

Make Me Fret Chapter 3 - Roy is convinced by the war room that he is the best option to tell Jamie that his accident wasn't an accident. Jamie panics and takes it badly

Day 26 - "You look awful"

Where the Hell is the Karma? Ch5 - Jamie reunites with his family and friends in Manchester. Recovery is a long frustrating road for all out of Jamie, Roy, Georgie and Simon including steps forward and paparazzi induced set backs

Day 27 - "Let me see."

Dutch Courage Chapter 2 - Jamie settles in to Jan's house. The team continue to be lax about Jamie's safety, the stalker escalates and Jamie ain't no snitch

Day 28 - "You'll have to go through me."

Call a Responsible Adult (you promised) - James Tartt Sr makes an appearance and beats up Jamie while he is looking after Phoebe. Phoebe calls Roy to come save Jamie

Jamie is asked to pick Phoebe up from school while her mother and uncle are working. Jamie's father is released from rehab without Jamie being informed. Together these facts spell disaster.

Day 29 - "I only sink deeper, the deeper I think"

Thuiskomen - Jamie spirals worrying about meeting his boyfriend's parents for the first time

Jan wants his long term boyfriend Jamie to come to the Netherlands to meet his family for Christmas. Initially Jamie panics and ropes in Roy to pull him out of the destructive thought spiral but in the end all he needs to do is take a leap of faith.

Day 30 - "Its ok to say I'm not ok"

It's Not Lost, You Just Don't Know Where It's Gone - Roy torments Jamie on another bike ride confessing that it is the anniversary of his grandad's death and he regrets burning Blankie. Turns out that Jamie accidentally saved Blankie but didn't know this old blanket was important to anyone

Roy and Jamie go cycling again when Roy is struggling with his feelings. Their chat turns to nostalgia and thinking about that ghost fire. Roy tells Jamie about the blanket he regrets burning ... which puts Jamie in an awkward situation for many reasons. 1) Jamie didn't burn the boots his mum gave him 2) And he just lied to Roy about that 3) Roy's blanket didn't burn either 4) And he's just lied to Roy about that as well

Day 31 - "Take it easy"

A Lasso Tartt Kent Jones Sutton O'Sullivan Welton Beard Family Christmas Chapter 1 - This is the first Christmas with all parts of Jamie's family together, and so he has multiple panic attacks about it

Jamie Tartt wants to bring together his new and old family for the festive season. It somehow ends with all the people that have come to care about Jamie coming together in celebration.

Despite that ... Jamie is stressed

[shimmerbeasts]

style of combat? - Mizora

Get to know your Tav||Accepting.

Mizora's style of combat is deeply inspired by the fact that she is not a very good soldier. She does not have the bulk of Zariel's other Cambion children or the animalistic ferocity needed to be a barbarian. Instead of brute strength, she is extremely dexterous, swift and agile. Her body is wiry, which makes her hitbox much smaller, but it comes at the cost that she cannot tank heavy hits that well.

Mizora's fighting style is therefore designed to mitigate her weaknesses and put her strengths into focus. Unlike other Cambions and hellions in Zariel's army, who tap into animalism for their fighting prowess, Mizora draws her fighting style from the ways Aasimars and angels fight since Zariel was an angel too at one point.

This results in a style of combat, which blends Mizora's powers as a sorceress with the advantages of aerial mobility. Mizora's heaviest-hitting abilities are all almost exclusively spells, which is why she usually prefers to stay a bit out of range at first. However, Mizora is agile enough to make a sudden dash into close quarters, beat you with usually her rapier (if Wyll has not yet freed her from the mindflayer colony, this is the infernal rapier) or hit you with her tail and wings before she either darts away again or uses misty step. In general, Mizora's main calling card is her usually levitating the rapier, which allows her to attack and defend from unexpected angles, and teleporting around a lot.

When it comes to her spell arsenal, Mizora tends to use area-of-effect spells like Hunger of Hadar or Darkness to punish her opponent's mobility. Ranged spells like Eldritch Blast or Ice Knife are the equivalence of a ranger's arrows for her. Close-ranged spells like Burning Hands are spells, Mizora prefers to use defensively to punish those who try to get into close-quarter range. She also uses summons, normally in combination with Hold Person or Hold Monster to take out other people. This tendency to like watching others be torn apart is why she also tends to place Crown of Madness on someone if she is faced with multiple enemies. She also has some very heavy-hitting spells like Disintegrate, which she usually uses if she wants to kill someone immediately.

Basically, if you want to take out Mizora, your best bet is to immobilize her and ensure her magic is used up. Mizora is the quintessential glass canon: She can dish out a lot of damage, but one hard hit and she is out for the counting.

[stay-midnight]

*in radio show host voice* hi, we are back again for our regularly scheduled program midnight fic talks! /j hehe

. . . (can relate to your sleep schedule though cause i'm used to sleeping at 1 and waking up at 7 cause life and all that🤧)

ahhh readerr would definitely dive into jeongin's tails if he has them out 😍 reader'd be clinging to it and nuzzling their face in it and all that (jeongin didn't even have the opportunity to tell the reader that his tails are kind of sensitive to touch so while his heart rate is going ↗️↗️↗️↗️↗️ cause reader is touching him with such affection and fondness he'd probably have a huge ass boner-)

snowswept tails escalating in terms of plot 👀 after the whole mob thing, i feel like reader would try his best to talk with jeongin about the whole thing-why he ended up doing all these things with the reader if he only saw them as prey and all that-i feel like jeongin would be a bit ashamed to answer but they don't even get the chance as soldiers start surrounding the cabin, screaming for the both of them to get out, jeongin's eyes would turn red but before he could walk out the door to kill all who threatens him and the reader- reader pleads with jeongin to just run away somewhere else (as much as it pains them to leave the only home they've ever known, he'd prefer running over seeing jeongin kill/hurt someone again even if it is for self defense)

jeongin's eyes turns back to normal, sighing as he uses fox magic to quickly gather all the things they need in a bag as they run out back, so now it becomes reader and jeongin running through the woods and from place to place so they can avoid capture-(jeongin would feel really guilty about costing the reader his home-their home.) (but eventual breeding in the woods though HAHA-)

The first time Hyunjin sees Chan i'd imagine this is how it basically plays out-

Chan, walking out of the pod: *Dazed and Confused*

Android Hyunjin, even more confused: Um, excuse me, sir?

Chan: ?????

Android Hyunjin, genuinely confused: Are you submissive and breedable?

Chan: 😶

Android Hyunjin and his two, needy, size queen- subs omg. The thought of them both suck hyunjin's big ass dick like damn, both trying their best to deepthroat hyunjin all the way down to the hilt like 😶, heck imagine if one of them is really needy and gets jealous when hyunjin pulls the head on the other and the look on their face 🤐🤐🤐 (would like to mention that hyunjin's cum would be edible and digestible and the taste would be addicting 😩, also i'm a switch chan enthusiast cause the man imo is definitely not 100% a dom but is also not 100% a sub 🤧 him getting railed with his fat ass and his thick dick-) but in this case both him and reader are hyunjin's cumsluts hehe

also i feel like hyunjin would be so turned on seeing his two subs be all over eachother 😭 reader and chan making out while covered in hyunjin's cum or them licking it off eachother-could see a scenario where both chan and reader are on top of eachother, making out-oversensetive as hyunjin's already came inside them once each and the android is now just taking turns inserting his big dick in both (said android is insanely turned on by the sight oml, he'd also definitely enjoy both for being all over him and eachtoher hehe)

ahhh King Felix eating out reader tied up in chains like wow 😩 he definitely takes out all his usual aggression (from terrorizing his citizens and royal guards) into fucking the reader hard 💞 Felix taking his crown and making him wear it and calling reader his king while thrusting so hard!?!?!?😊

Emperor jeongin having fun with his new toy, savoring the thrill of it all, the reader thought he'd be going out with some princess but nope- instead of being a guard he is now jeongin's play thing, exhibitionist emperor jeongin who'd make the reader get on his knees in some hallway of his big castle-

anyways, continuation of this ask again causeee- the divine amusement thirst is real oml 💕💕😏

This has become a routine ever since the start of this week I think?! 😭 But yes, I am here again as the guest on midnight fic talks!

(I wake up at like- 11 am cuz afternoon classes 😭 But yeah its me trying to adjust my sleep schedule while on break 🎉)

AAAAA please the scene would both be cute and hot cuz Jeongin is not used to anyone playing or touching his tails cuz yk a lot of years in the wild or smth— like it'd be hot cuz Jeongin would get hard at the sensitivity of his tails and he cant help but grab reader and rut against him afterwards cuz its kind of his fault anyways- then Jeongin would let reader play more with his tails often but it will always end up in bed with reader moaning as Jeongin fills his ass for the nth time-

Snowswept Tails is such a 🤧 I might have to full ver it during the holiday season (hopefully i dont stop writing again) cuz it seems like its not gonna win the poll r i p.

Because of the recent fiasco with soldiers, reader would have to find shelter or a place to stay for a while cuz Jeongin is nearing hibernation — since the place they stayed at was ever winter, meaning it snowed a lot Jeongin was more inclined to stay there but since yk, guards and stuff and they left the forest— Jeongin would need to hibernate for some short while though he is reluctant too (cuz yk hes overprotective of reader now) but as a snow nine tailed fox, heat does not welcome him even though he has fire magic of his own— (they probably would find a cave to settle down and reader would wait there for Jeongin to regain his energy like a week or so) Though he is filled with guilt about the prey thing and his house, reader assures him so before Jeongin goes to hibernation— they went to town and Jeongin fucks readwr like an animal in a cave or woods as if its their last time 😭😭😭

NO CUZ YEAH– then while Chan is silent, Hyunjin goes: "Are you able to host babies?" in the most monotonous voice possible-

Hyunjin would definitely feel new to the pleasure, like the android didn't expect this to happen at all but it did and the two like to have their fills sucking off Hyunjin i feel like there would be a scene where Hyunjin is inspecting either and like he notices they lack a certain nutrient so he asks them to get on their knees and then mouth fucks them then cums down their throats and like the nutrients is in the cum?!(!( like— HAHSNDNXN IDKK

I agree I feel like the man's flexible 😏, (fucking chan and riding him in different positions is UGHGGGHSJSJDJ) I feel like also during their sessions Hyunjin would learn to be more human in a way like for example in there first session Hyunjin has absolutely no idea whats going on except the fact that it pleasures the other but like as it continues he fucks like an actual person and it actually helps develop a personality for him— like they'd have deep talks as well like "Why do you like it so much?"— he would ask

So true (?) so hot aaaa King Felix would also be a bit possessive with reader like for example, a guard would talk to reader in the garden as king felix stares up from his balcony, he would definitely fuck the reader in front of his guard with reader's hands chained behind his back— he'll threaten the guard too like- "the next time you come close to whats mine without my permission is the last time you will feel your head connected to your neck"— threats by king felix grfnemxjjdj

Oh yeah— Of course while reader is a bit perplexed about the situation- he'd accept it cuz they're a slut and the pay is just better and no one wants to be guard anyways— So reader takes Emperor Jeongin's dick with want— I feel like sex with a viagra-type thing is the need here like—like imagine reader getting a pill of viagra therefore being horny as fuck and hard all day wanting to be bred like a good little fucktoy BUT jeongin chains them into the bed and watches as they struggle and try to thrust into the air—

The divine amusement requires a whole other cuz its so 😭 its turning into an skz orgy i mean it already was but yk wjat i meam Once again ill answer that ask tomorrow cuz its getting late again 😭 my eyes help 😭

[thewolfisawake]

RULES: repost, don’t reblog. just pick a muse of yours and fill it out.

MUSE: Balmoral

— basics

▸ is your muse tall/short/average? 

Bal is about average height. He's about 5'9" (~174 cm).

▸ are they okay with their height? 

He has no problem with it. He can reach reasonable amount of things, he's not having folks mess with him because he's a tree nor a stump. Although his height can actually fluctuate with his emotional state but it hasn't acted up in quite a while.

▸ what’s their hair like?

Bal's hair is a darkness that is comparable to the evening sky. So it is more black or blue dependent on the lighting. It gradients down towards an icy blue and then every so faintly is the barest bit of pink. His hair has a little body so it's not flat but it also isn't immensely fluffy. It falls half way down his chest. While he would like to be able to wear it down, he usually can't because of decorum rules or something of the like. So his hair is normally in a long braid, partial braid with the rest down, or a ponytail. All with simple flairs or additions to make it a little less plain but overall still pretty practical.

▸ do they spend a lot of time on their hair/with their grooming?

Not really because he has that 'I woke up like this' sort of thing (the bastard). But he does detangle it so that it causes less problems in his day. Honestly the longest time is usually getting the style working with his circlet or crown. And he has to get that right, unfortunately.

▸ does your muse care about their appearance?

Yes to an extent. As the king he has to appear immaculate since he doesn't want to make the Unseelie look bad. Doubly so since they're thought of as the more slovenly of the Courts to begin with. He also keeps up his looks because it keeps others attention longer and it adds his charisma. But he is the type to get annoyed at having to 'made up' for an extended amount of time.

▸ does your muse care about what others think about them?

Professionally, yes. Personally, no. He keeps a hand on the pulse when it comes to what others think of him. He uses them as indicators of public perception. And it usually means some adjustment somewhere for himself. But as for does it actually hurt his feelings what others think about him? No. He's himself and he's gonna do what he wants so others can kick rocks. Of course he can't always act so brazenly but it's enough to know you probably don't want to mess with him.

— preferences

▸ indoors or outdoors? Outdoors ▸ rain or sunshine? Rain ▸ forest or beach? Forest ▸ precious metals or gems? Precious Metals ▸ flowers or perfumes? Flowers ▸ personality or appearance? Personality ▸ being alone or being in a crowd? Being in a crowd ▸ order or anarchy? Anrachy ▸ painful truths or white lies? White Lies ▸ science or magic? Magic ▸ peace or conflict? Conflict ▸ night or day? Night ▸ dusk or dawn? Dusk ▸ warmth or cold? Warmth ▸ many acquaintances or a few close friends? Many acquaintances ▸ reading or playing a game? Playing a game

— questionnaire

▸ what are some of your muse’s bad habits?

Bal tends to be overly familiar to others. This can mean him being a bit too casual with the diplomat. This can be him putting out half-hearted threats that could be very bad for the land if he acted on them. He also likes to push buttons and instigate to see where things will go and to sometimes push someone to a discomfort they need to face.

▸ has your muse lost anyone close to them? how has it affected them?

Sort of? I will say for now that it was a group of nature spirits/insects. The loss made him driven and to never hesitate.

▸ what are some fond memories your muse has?

A lot of his fond memories are actually after he came to the Unseelie. He tends to feel nostalgic for the patrols that brought him to the surface. And not so lonely patrol nights after Mhoirbheinn joined them.

▸ is it easy for your muse to kill?

It's fairly easy to him. I wouldn't say that he's murder happy but it also isn't off the table with most encounters Bal has had. But that may also be apart of being an Unseelie where power does talk and it is something that gains respect.

▸ what’s it like when your muse breaks down?

Hoo. Boy. How pointed. But generally, there's this spiral of 'why.' He wants to know why it came to this conclusion, what he could've done, if there were certain conditions to this. His mind is racing with no finish line in sight and I'm sure he probably sounds like a madman with his mutterings. There is also an anger and frustration that makes him volatile to be around. Kinda literally as all sorts of magic is sparking off him. But then it eventually simmers down to resolution. That he has either reasoned or brought himself to a conclusion and sticks to it. Almost doubling down on it.

▸ is your muse capable of trusting someone with their life?

Yes. He is capable of doing so. He feels by virtue of his generals, he does trust them with his life. And further than that, he would put his life in Mhoirbheinn's hands with no hesitation.

▸ what’s your muse like when they’re in love?

There is feeling of soft and reprieve from all the noise of life. It is an unmistakable feeling of safety and it is all-encompassing of his senses. He is more forward and sincere to them because it is where there is no boundary and rules to stop him. There is a yearning that he has throughout his mind when it's the public and when alone there is a desire for touch, closeness and presence. As if to soak it all in for them to last until the next time that'd be allow...whenever that is. Balmoral would want to lavish the world to them and would want to give every aspect of himself to them. It can be a lot.

[eternalstretchofmuses]

Name: Aurora Fluffealis Text colour: Blue

Title: The Fox Drifting 440 Kilometres High Age: 458 years old Birthday: April 22nd Species: Firefox/kitsune Location: Wherever she deems cold enough for her liking (usually the sky) Height: 4'11" (150.9 cm) Weight: 133.6 lbs (49.4 kg) Gender: Female Appearance: Wavy, hip-length hair with turquoise to midnight blue gradient, as well as small white dots resembling stars. Hair is bioluminescent and changes colour in reaction to certain stimuli, ranging from its normal blue to purple, green, and even red. Hair also seems to ignore gravity to varying extents. Large fox ears on the top of her head that change colour like her hair. Bright purple eyes with white, star-shaped pupils. Has 4 large, fluffy fox tails (taking up more volume than the rest of her...) that follow the same scheme as her hair and ears. Tan skin, like Tan Cirno. Short. Clothing: Wears a black caplet covered in faint depictions of the constellations of the zodiac, with the addition of a much brighter depiction of the constellation Vulecula front and centre. Underneath the caplet, she wears a short black dress covered in streaks of blue, purple and white. Both the dress and capelet are lined with white fur. also has blue, purple and white ribbons tied around her tails as decoration. Personality: Her personality is a tad bit chaotic. She's easy to upset, especially if you insult her tails or her height. Mischievous and cunning, but never truly intentionally malicious. She may trick you or take something from you, but she won't hurt you unless you wrong her. Bringing up the topic of space is a good way to get her to talk your ear off. She's a tad bit egotistical, but only a little. Abilities: Manipulation of luminosity An ability more dangerous than it sounds. Using this, she can control the amount of light any given object gives off, from a small glow to a blinding light. If she wants someone to leave her alone, she uses it to turn herself into a living flashbang. Creating auroras Descending from the legendary firefoxes of Finland, she has the power to create auroras. Her auroras aren't confined to the sky, able to freely swirl and shimmer around her. By channelling enough magic into them, she can also make them solid, useful for mobility or attacking someone. The science behind this? This is Gensokyo! There's no common sense in Gensokyo! Transformation A standard ability coming from her kitsune side. Sometimes transforms into the form of a normal fox. Well... normal aside from the colour-changing fur. Likes: Has an affinity for space and the stars, showing a deep fascination for the vast emptiness out there. Is also fond of tried tofu, but is even fonder of ramen. Spicy food is her favourite. If she's not crying it probably isn't spicy enough. Prefers colder locations over warm ones. Collects objects she finds interesting. Dislikes: Shows an odd hatred towards cloudy skies due to the clouds sometimes blocking her view of the stars at night. STRONGLY dislikes having her tails or height insulted. Hates sticky things because they get stuck in her tails easily. Strengths: Great at thinking of ideas most people wouldn't. Due to her small size, some people may underestimate her and go a bit easier. Quite clever when it comes to certain subjects, especially ones related to the stars. Is having fluffy tails a strength? Yes :) Weaknesses: Low alcohol tolerance, and becomes a bit... stupid when drunk. Sometimes has a hard time taking criticism. Can be knocked around easily due to her size. Sometimes doesn't think about what she's saying before she says it. Often unable to sit still. Weak to things that get stuck in fluffy tails. Has a bit of a hoarding problem. Theme: The Sky Set Ablaze by a Spark from a Vulpine Tail ~ Väärä Tulikettu Aamunkoitto Spellcards: Blinding Light 「Quasar Flash」 Tail Spark 「Raging, Burning Sky」 Reborn Star 「Alpha Phoenicis」 Auroral Corona 「Crown of a Fluffy Queen」 「Wild Galactic Chase of Vulpecula and Anser」 Self-contained Secret Star 「Thorne–Żytkow Object」 (Last Word) Tag: Sky-igniting Fox of False Dawn ~ Aurora

Professional Artist Rendition:

[teyaamiran]

Do you have any Vanica x Acier Headcanons? I really like your ideas

Vanica x Acier… maybe only one cuz I’m more interested in VaniNoe

It’s about Vanica & Acier’s first meeting/date/Acier’s death. Actually one and the same. Vanica tried to be “normal”, enjoy men’s company - she even liked Allen because, like any Zogratis, she found his sunny nature quite exciting. But Allen was obsessed with Zenon, Dante was the only who could understand Vani and sincerely loved her - but yk, he belonged to every woman of Spade and out 🤣

So Vani… was alone with her indefinite feelings. Men in magic defense force found her weird just after few minutes together, and dropped communication if spending together at least one night. Vanica wasn’t impressed by any of them; she was enough strong to have nobody except the grand mages as her rival, and war was ended, so no battlefields which could rush her blood. Sooner, Dante became oversaturated with his merits, and older Zogratis siblings followed Zenon in mental way to abyss.

But once Zenon randomly said that maybe she chose a wrong company. He couldn’t say he liked definitely men, women or both - he loved just Allen and he lost him, - but Vanica could simply prefer women or be sane to him, needing more ‘mental’ bound. Vanica took it serious, and first time since childhood, brother and sister spent evening together, just talking about something they liked.

Next day, Vani started her research: as Spade-Diamond war was ended, she started searching for another conflicts, reading lots of literature, studying history. Diamond kingdom made only disgrace for her because all of ‘artificial’ features like mutations, implants etc (she didn’t like them even as a body-attribute mage) made to its people, and she found almost nothing about the reserved Heart Kingdom. But she found a rumor about the queen of battlefield from the south, a very strong woman who was supposed to be the next local ‘commander-in-chief’, dressed in white and silver valkyrie.

The one who refused and chose her family. Acier Silva.

Vanica spent days asking her siblings for advise, especially Dante: she had never talk this way to girls, she had no friends among girls and has lived for too long being alone, so she was very nervous how to behave. Dante helped her with how he saw women himself, and Zenon, who has never been interested in women even as friends, randomly suggested that Vani should at least look good - because the woman who abandoned ‘commander-in-chief’ title to stay with her family wouldn’t understand if someone comes to her in soldier uniform. Zenon gifted her blood-gem silver jewelry, and Dante ordered a crown for her (it was before Grinberryal’s’ massacre but Dante was sure about success)

When Vani came to Clover Kingdom, it was a spring; she was so impressed with completely different climate, birds singing, people smiling, sun shining and being not hidden with clouds- and Silva’s garden was full of blooming lilac. Acier in her white-violet dress, with no jewelry and make-up, was so gorgeous to see. It was the only time Vanica felt like this, during all her life.

Acier noticed a guest being completely puzzled for some reason - and asked if Vani is okay. She answered something indefinite, and Acier took her hand and invited for a cup of tea, thinking that Vani needed help.

Oh, she really needed. Before coming here, Vanica mainly thought about fighting Acier - because she was so strong and there’s no way that such an awesome woman could really leave the battlefield. She wanted to feel her blood racing. And not, Vanica felt it with no weapons.

She fell in love at the first sight - like Zenon to Allen.

Vanica and Acier took a cup of tea, then another one, continuing their conversation, ordered some cookies; Acier was quite bored when her children were at classes and husband always too busy to stay at home for a while. She felt herself enough relaxed to admit sincerely that she didn’t like the marriage system of CK: that every marriage depends on status, value and magic. Acier didn’t love her husband when they married, and even now, she still didn’t; they could coexist and they have children, but there was no love feeling between them.

No feelings, just business. And children.

And seeing this tired lonely valkyrie who exchanged weapons to household and got nothing, seeing this beautiful woman in blooming garden with all of her beauty fading because of someone who could never see it’s value, Vanica was getting angry. She asked, why so strong woman couldn’t escape.

Acier said that she couldn’t leave her children without mother.

The same time, Nozel returned home from classes. Vanica stood up, dropping a cup of tea from a table.

“So you have no freedom. Let me return it to you”

———

And we know how things ended.

[liroyalty]

You know what? Gram and Ann for the if they had a kid meme.

If the Had a Kid…

Name: Rosavya Volpe li Fiorenobila Gender: Female General Appearance: Bright red hair which fluctuated between being short & long(it grows quickly & she likes to cut it), a high forehead, light blue eyes, slightly tanned skin Personality: She is very calm & sweet, an honest delight to have, even in the most unnerving of situations, as she keeps a cool head to her shoulders(likely the results of growing up close to her cousins). Kind & enjoying being with others, she's as much a social butterfly as her mother. Special Talents: A singer, of course, she takes very well to music & acting. She a capable mage as well, taking well mostly to light & fire magics, & though she prefers ranged combat, she knows her way around a sword too. Her calm demeanor, combined with her acting, makes her able to put on very good fake personas to hide her true feelings if she needs too. Who they like better: Huh, there's a train going by for this one Who they take after more: There is just a tad bit more Ann in her Personal Head canon: Crown Princess of Camellia, though Camellia was not excited to see their future Queen with bright red hair, they were at least happy to see her with the blue eyes of her mother. She grew up close to her cousins in Nova, especially Xynn(as the oldest child of their respective families & heirs to their respective thrones) & Laura(as the calmest of the Nova family). She did not pick up on any of her cousins' dark traits or interests, but did end up normalizing them, contributing to her calm demeanor later in life; even around tragedies. Growing up around her cousins also met training with them, & she is able to keep up with the more trigger happy Nova family, making any questions of her safety being in danger disappear. Face Claim: Yeldriya Vioette Cecilia from I Fell into a Reverse Harem Game

[nicestpamkale]

Villain #4

Lotevi Lazarus, the Ancient Near-god

-

picrew

-

Appearance;

Long, straight, unruly chestnut hair that when let down trails a few inches behind her ankles. Half of the ponytail is a braid she crowns around her head, the other half is pinned to the top. Casually, though, she just puts it in a normal ponytail.

Piercing golden eyes that truly take in the sunlight as though she herself needs it to survive.

A gentle face, crawling with vines of all measure that simply desire to feed off of her. (And she lets them, obviously.) Pointed ears, indicating her wood-elf heritage.

Her body has a mid-level build. She isn’t frail like Clove is, however she definitely isn’t pulling off any impressive feats.

Her skin is fair and when she’s feeling particularly lively, green- she blushes green aswell, remnants of her dragon blood heritage.

Clothing Vibe;

(Image Credit 1)

Kid you not pinterest is going to be the death of me.

(Image Credit 2)

I searched everywhere for this and y'know? It works. It works.

Personality;

Confident and wise, she always knows what she's doing and for what, and hardly ever wavers once she's set her sights on a goal.

Incredibly old and as such, incredibly knowledgeable. She's been working on perfecting the form of the Alruane for centuries now, working on making them look just like any other person.

Has a strong sense of personal pride, not liking being looked down on, especially not by those younger than her.

Can and will defend herself without qualms about it.

Of the people who actively interact with the people that live under their rule, she is the tamest and most humanitarian, despite her treatment of outsiders. Well-known for her forms that implicitly make it known that anyone can and may own land/property and having plant soldiers that prioritize protection and not offense. 

In-World Relations;

Borys, the Dark God. - She heavily dislikes him and only works under him in order to freely fulfill her own goal of becoming the next nature goddess. Hopes to someday overthrow him, as well, but makes no such moves because it would be too much of a bother.

Clove, the Necromancer. - She dislikes his values and the way he treats his wife, however, he has some useful information about the workings of the soul so she conversates with him about that.

Stan, the Fire Lich. - Hopes to free him from his prison, but knows that as a singular woman she cannot. Her current projects involve attempting to make Alruanes that can survive in salt water.

Altalas, the Stone-child. - Sees her as a sort-of surrogate daughter, albeit one that she has failed. Greatly regrets allowing the young girl to meet with Clove to practice spellcasting.

The Trio. - A group she scorns, believing them to be mostly useless within the cult.

Etzawahl, the Lightning Lich. - Friends with, the two discuss their respective best friends with fervent admiration, aswell as discussing the best ways to dismantle Menyingia, the prison island Runians use to avoid directly executing criminals.

Linarho, the Lunar God. - The two discuss her ascension into godhood quietly, under the noses of Clove and Borys. She doesn’t wish to use underhanded tactics, so they’re arranging a more... up-front method of ascension.

Abilities;

Communication and commanding of plants. Tends towards using ensnaring techniques.

Non-specific druidic magic.

Weaknesses;

She’s got a soft spot in that she really doesn’t enjoy murder all that much, preferring to experiment on offenders rather than execute them. Thus, if you manage to get out of her grasp, she probably won’t follow you too hard.

She’s allergic to all manner of metals, so fighting her for too long usually hurts her pretty badly.

Crimes;

Kidnapping, humanoid experimentation, murder,

Basically a majority of war crimes, I think.

She completely decimated a town of about 100-200 people using a poison gas that turned said town into deadly zombies.

[merakiui]

Cat’s Cradle

anonymous asked: heya theree, can I request one-shot for yandere childe and healer fem!reader? after reader accidentally save him when he injured, he always following her and it's make reader really suspicious of him, because he is a fatui. she feel relieved when Lumine came because it distracted Childe attention on her. but when reader start enjoying her normal life again with her friends (Chongyun and the others), the jealous Childe Actually planning something behind her to trap her forever with him?ah sorry if this is too long ( ；∀；)(っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ

yandere!childe x healer!(female) reader art credit - shinyshynii on twt cw: yandere, implied stalking, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, manipulation, lying, mentions of murder/death, blackmail, rite of descension spoilers note - I modified your request just a little. I hope that was okay, anon! 

i. the introduction of blue and green.

Through the haze of addictive bloodlust, your hands reach out to mend the scrapes and bruises that litter his body like splattered paint on a torn canvas. Soft and gentle, it’s a contrast to the calluses that have amounted on his palms from years of handling weapons and giving his all in countless fights. In the background, a few meters away, a fallen Ruin Guard lies in a heap of various parts. That very thing had pursued you through these labyrinthine ruins with the vicious intent to kill. You’re grateful to the man who kneels before you like a prince accepting a crown, and so you choose to repay him in the only way you know how: with the soothing touch of your healing abilities.

Your hands calmly work their magic, fingers pressing into stiff muscles to release the tension and cast away any imperfections. His eyes are on you while you do this and he grins when your gaze shifts to find his.

“That should be about it,” you say, withdrawing your hands from his shoulders. “Unless there’s an area I missed.”

Without missing a beat, he tilts his head and replies, “Actually, you did.”

His teasing smirk tells you he’s up to no good, but you humor him anyways. “Oh? And where would that be?”

“Right here, sweetheart.” And his finger taps at his cheek. “Surely your savior deserves a little remuneration for his hard work.”

A kind smile makes its way onto your face when he stares at you expectantly. You hold up your hand to display the sparkling ring that hugs your finger. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir. I’m engaged.”

He spies the ring for a short moment, his playfulness melting into quiet neutrality. “Your spouse must be a lucky person.” Straightening himself, he takes another look around at the dusty ruins, hands on his hips. “Well, I hope I can trust that you won’t get into anymore trouble. But if you’d prefer seeing this face I won’t stop you from finding danger.”

You shake your head, withholding a giggle, and the Pyro Vision around your neck rattles with the movement. He’s drawn to it at once, curiously observing the weathered material with a raised brow. There’s an odd glint in his blue eyes when he comes to an internal conclusion, but it dulls before you can ask any prying questions. From the looks of it, something has clicked within his mind—or perhaps you’re simply reading too much into his gestures. Upon realizing this, you take a step back in case he were to lash out.

When you analyze him from this distance, you can easily pick out the mask that sits in his hair and the clothes that fit his body nicely. Simply put, he is a member of the Fatui and you wonder just how powerful he could be to defeat a Ruin Guard in one fell swoop. At the implication of such monstrous strength, a wave of envy washes over you. Even with your Vision, you surmise you wouldn’t be nearly as strong as he is, which is a stab in your confidence. The difference between the both of you is clear as day: he can handle a Ruin Guard, whereas you cannot. 

Before you can wrap yourself in these web-like thoughts, you bring yourself back to reality, already sensing the end of this stagnant conversation. With the polite flair of an aristocrat, you bid him farewell. 

“You can just call me Childe!” he calls after you. “There’s no need for ‘sir.’”

Without turning around, you add, “Very well then, Sir Childe.”

He releases an amused breath at such a blatant jab and watches as you depart, your figure shrinking against the backdrop of the pastel sky.

And thus the first few threads overlap wildly, stringing together patterns that spell out impending doom. 

ii. the crossroads at which fraying strings intercept.

Like a shoddy cat’s cradle, you’ve found yourself in quite the tangle. The strings of fate interweave in an undesirable pattern, showing an event that has not yet graced you with its presence. Somehow you’ve caught the eye of that strange Fatui and while you’re certain it’s a direct result of your incompetence when it comes to settling debt something is still amiss. Whether it’s your failure to repay countless loans or he’s simply bored with nothing to do, there is one consistent thing that manages to keep you patiently waiting for another dreadfully inevitable meeting.

He’ll always find you even when you wish to remain undiscovered.

Childe, as he prefers to be called, lives up to his alias. Playful and teasing, he’s caught you on the streets of Liyue Harbor more than once, easily falling into step beside you as he ponders the weather or where you’re currently heading. You’ll deny him the pleasantries, getting straight to the point whenever he tries to wring a conversation out of you. You’ve told him plenty of times before that the two of you are not friends. He helped you once and you repaid his favor in full; therefore your relationship should not bear any fruit. And even when it does it falls from the tree at once, spattering in rotten disarray. 

Even now, as he grins at you with that bothersome hint of mischief in his gaze, your Pyro Vision is begging to incinerate him where he stands. As your luck would have it, you are currently in the middle of the marketplace and such a crime cannot be committed for the public eye to see. Instead you stand there with the elegance of a porcelain statue, an empty basket gripped tightly in your hands. The familiar sensation of the woven basket grounds you even when he places his hand upon your shoulder, searching for a reaction you refuse to give.

“Never pinned you as the sweet type,” he says, applying just a little pressure. 

“And I never pinned you as the stalker type.” Your smile is thin—hardly filled with the same amusement that’s twinkling in those subdued eyes of his—and it takes all of your restraint to remain poised. 

“Hah. You’ve got me there, sweetheart. Guilty as charged.” Withdrawing his hand, he glances sidelong at the fruit stall you were trying to peruse moments ago. He has the gall to pick up an apple as if the two of you are on a mere shopping date—as if your errands hold no significance other than pure entertainment for this bothersome individual. “Before you sign my death certificate and give me a free cremation, walk with me.”

Not a suggestion. A demand veiled within the softness in his tone.

“Sir Childe,” you murmur, plucking the apple from his hands just as he flicks a shiny coin at the stall’s owner, “I’ve got things that need tending to and you are not included in my afternoon plans. So I would appreciate it if you could leave me alone for the time being.”

“Oh?” His stare is sharp and predatory as it cuts through you, observing the way you sink your teeth into the apple—more so to spite him than to quell your hunger. His chuckle irritates you, but you hide your displeasure behind a sturdy façade. “I’m offended you won’t even spare me a fraction of your time.”

“A minute spent with you feels like an eternity of suffering in Diyu.”

“Ouch. That’s a little cold, wouldn’t you agree? Surely there’s some warmth in there. You do possess a Pyro Vision, after all.”

“Hilarious.” You fix him with a disappointed frown, already kicking yourself for your next action. “Very well. I’ll walk with you if it manages to get you off of my back for the rest of the day.”

“Great! I knew you’d come around.”

It doesn’t feel like a proper choice, but you don’t have time to mull it over as he redirects your path. Sighing, you focus on the half-eaten apple in your hand while he talks about the upcoming Rite of Descension. From the sound of it, he seems curious about the entire tradition, going so far as to compliment Liyue and its unique flair for events.

“I’m excited, too,” you mutter, but it’s almost sinful that your opinions match. “There’s a lot of preparation to be done. I’m sure everyone’s working hard.”

“That’s to be expected. It is a big event, you know.” His intonation changes on that last sentence, but you overlook it in your objective to ignore it. “That reminds me. I never got your name.”

“It’s Mei.”

“Is that so? That’s a lovely name.”

“Please stop with the flattery,” you say in the sweetest voice you can muster. “You do realize compliments will get you nowhere with me.”

“It was worth a try.”

“If you’d be willing to sate my curiosity, could you tell me why you wanted to take this walk? It couldn’t have been for sightseeing.”

Childe inclines his head towards the sky, eyeing the fluffy clouds that move to block out the sun. And then his gaze settles on you again and his eyes are filled with a new emotion: hope. It’s weird to see such a feeling on his face and you take a step away from him as a result.

“I was wondering, dear Mei, if you could possibly accompany me for dinner. One evening. Just the two of us. I promise I’ll leave you alone after this. As you may already know, my job can get quite busy.” He taps his mask when he says that, his eyes darkening as the sun finally cowers behind the clouds. “How about it?”

“One dinner...” It sounds so tempting and that’s why you shake your head. Too good to be true, which is a saying you’ve heard many times, and Childe fits it perfectly. “I’m sorry, but I’m also very busy because of the Rite. I don’t think I can make time for you.”

“But you did now.”

“I suppose so, but I can’t wedge you into my schedule whenever you want.”

“I’ll be paying.”

Your breath hitches. “You... Hold on.”

You’re eyeing the basket with uncertainty, firmly against the idea of a dinner date with Childe. But he’s going to pay; you won’t have to waste any of your minimal savings for the sake of seeming respectful. It’s practically a free meal and if he’s going through all of the trouble to invite you... What’s stopping you from accepting and ordering half of the menu in the gluttonous pursuit of running his funds dry?

“Okay. Fine.” Those words burn your tongue when you speak them, having surrendered to him once again. “One meal. After that, you’ll stop stalking me and I’ll move on with my life.”

“Of course. It’s the least I can do for my favorite healer. As a parting gift, why not—“

You’re already grabbing his arm to soothe whatever ache has befallen it. You surmise it’s better to comply rather than object. Until that dinner ends, you should act wise when you’re with him. Childe doesn’t complain as you heal his surface injuries, but he does tense up as your hand moves to cure the other invisible areas on his chest and shoulders.

Eventually you pull away, satisfied. “Perhaps I should start charging you.”

He chuckles humorlessly, spying the engagement ring that kisses your finger. “We’ll see about that, sweetheart.”

No matter how annoying he can be, you’re relieved he’s finally going to put an end to this strange relationship you’ve cultivated over the course of two weeks. And all you have to do is suffer through one dinner. A free dinner, might you add.

Still, there is an underlying regret that bites at your intuition. Like a candle that burns precariously, you snuff it before it can erupt in a full-fledged conflagration. 

iii. the twisted pattern of a cat’s cradle, now mired in cyan misfortune. 

Time passes, as does the Rite of Descension, and you’re left with no sign of Childe. It makes you wonder if he up and died, having grown so overworked with his Fatui job that it killed him. You suppose that would be an ideal finale to this situation, but there’s still an uncomfortable stagnation in the air. It’s not surprising, especially since the events from a week ago have had such a massive impact on Liyue. The harbor has become somber and tense with the untimely passing of Rex Lapis and the locals have grown restless with suspicion. Everyone’s wondering who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous crime.

In the back of your head, you think about Childe and the strength he displayed when he beat down that Ruin Guard. Could he be powerful enough to bring death to your nation’s Archon? It’s a disturbing thought that should leave you with a fresh bout of terror and yet you consider it with the same amount of neutrality you’ve been feeling since Rex Lapis’s corpse fell out of the sky.

It’s a tragedy, of course, but your emotions are misplaced. There are lots of reasons to mourn your Archon’s death. Those who fear for the future of Liyue and its economic prosperity will grasp onto the idea that their Archon remains with them internally. As if he’s locked up within their hearts like a poor canary. But Rex Lapis’s passing also brings about hope for a new era—one that might show vast improvement in comparison to the past. You doubt such a grand change will happen within a few years, but it does feel nice to dissolve into a state of wishful thinking.

You’re tapping at the intricate ring on your finger, holding it up against the late afternoon sun. It winks as the light refracts within the polished crystal. Briefly, you ponder its monetary value. You’re certain that you could get a decent amount for it, but it still wouldn’t be nearly enough to settle your debt with the bank. Your mood sours when you think about it, the mere implication of debt clinging onto your figure like strands of ivy.

You release a wistful sigh as you move away from the wall, fully intent on taking the route home. Childe didn’t show his face today either. Perhaps he truly has died. That idea sticks with you as you pass the various stalls littering either side of the cobbled walkway. You maneuver around a group of teenagers, all of whom talk amongst themselves eagerly. And just when you’re on your way up the steps, you sense the uncanny presence of Childe.

Maybe it’s his stare that you feel—something so sharp it pries deep into your very soul to search for the flaws you’ve buried. Or perhaps it’s the way he’s already behind you, ready to tap your shoulder or grab your wrist to catch you off guard. At once, you whirl on the stairs, covering your Pyro Vision with your hand. Unfortunately, he’s standing on the step below you, very much alive and well with an odd expression.

It’s impossible to decipher the emotions—or lack thereof—on his face.

“Sir Childe.”

“Mei.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you. If I’m being honest, I thought you died.”

A smirk breaks through the plaster of his mask. “And leave you after I invited you to dinner? Unimaginable.”

Rolling your eyes, you fold your arms across your chest. “Let’s get on with it then. I assume you’ve already chosen the restaurant?”

“Of course.”

There are lots of thoughts going through your mind as you follow him, but one remains the loudest. He’s too quiet—too tame for your liking. Although you can’t truly determine the legitimacy of your observations because you don’t know Childe as well as one might think. On the surface, he seems valiant enough: an attractive gentleman with a youthful face. But under all of that charm and sparkle lies dark secrets, unsavory relationships, and an unsatisfied thirst for something dangerous.

This is all purely speculation, but it is interesting to imagine all sorts of tales about Childe’s hidden dark side—if such a thing even exists within him. And the more you spin such gruesome tales, the more tangled your cat’s cradle becomes. Strings overlap in the pursuit of purification, mixing colors according to the color wheel and dyeing every new strand in beautiful hues. If one were to attempt to untangle the mass of yarn that connects you and Childe, they would fail within the first few minutes.

Even a bond as crooked as this one can bloom, entrapping one in its messy cat’s cradle.

The restaurant is definitely expensive. You can tell from the people who are sat within it, dining so primly in their luxurious attire. The interior design is minimalistic, yet striking to an opulent degree. You’re so wrapped up in admiring everything that you fail to comprehend Childe as he pilots you in the direction of your table, guided onwards by the hostess. She sets two decorative menus on the neatly set table before making herself scarce.

And thus begins your dinner with Childe.

You’re sat across from him, the both of you making eye contact before opening up your own menus and taking a few moments to read over the contents. Every dish has you salivating; if you could try everything you would. If there’s one thing pleasant about this predicament, it’s that he’s got the money for frivolous spending. While you read over each item and its price, tallying up an imaginary total, Childe sets his menu down. His hands are steepled as he stares at you, picking out your intense contemplation.

“I do love dinners like these,” he says and you raise your brow, the only indication that he should elaborate. “You can learn so much about a person just from spending an hour or two at a restaurant with them. From their food preferences to the type of drink they’re fond of, there are all sorts of things for you to discover.”

“I see.” Your eyes skim a particular seafood dish and you wonder if you’d be able to finish the entire thing. “Interesting...”

“Everything comes to light during a nice dinner. Table etiquette, drunk gossip, and even dirty secrets.” When you don’t look up from your menu, Childe chuckles. “I noticed you were waiting for me at our usual spot.”

“I wasn’t,” you snap, flustered. “And it’s not ‘our spot.’ Don’t call it that.”

“You really are too cold.” Feigning hurt, his lips tug into a childish pout. “And here I am, treating you to such a lavish meal.”

“I’m thankful, if that’s what you were hoping to hear.”

“Hm. Perhaps.” He leans back in his chair when you finally fold the menu, setting it down on the table. He’s looking at your engagement ring for what feels like the nth time since you first met. “About that ring—you mentioned you were engaged. How long?”

“About a year and a half, I’d say. Why?”

“Just curious. You seem rather young to be married.”

“You’re awfully inquisitive tonight, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t it natural to ask questions when you’re on a date?” Your hesitation brings light to his azure eyes. “Furthermore, the least you could do is entertain my questions. I won’t pry...unless you want me to. If that’s the case, I’m sure we can arrange something.”

Unamused, you tap at the table, searching for a waiter.

“Was your lover a nice person?”

“Of course.” And then your head snaps in his direction, bewilderment staining your once straight face. “Excuse me? I think I heard you wrong.”

“Oh?”

“You used the wrong tense.”

“The wrong tense?” He blinks back at you, owlish. “Did I?”

“Yes, you did,” you insist, now overcome with an impatience so intense it could tear you in half. You don’t have time for his pointless games. “You said ‘was’ when it should be ‘is.’”

“Ah.” He leans forward in his seat, losing all of his nonchalance. “Hah. I see.”

“I beg your pardon, Sir Childe?”

“You know, Mei, I can’t help but feel curious. You’re an enigma of sorts.” His brow furrows and then he shakes his head. “Well, not exactly. An enigma is meant to perplex you. So what does that make you?”

“I’m not sure. Please enlighten me.”

“An open book.”

“All right...”

“I was wondering what a lady was doing in such a desolate part of Liyue, in those decrepit ruins. It’s not wise to venture into unknown territory by yourself, especially if you aren’t strong enough to fend off enemies.” A knowing grin splits his lips apart, stunning you into frozen silence, and he swipes up the menu to hide such a haunting expression. “And then I started to think about other possibilities.”

Somehow you manage to find your voice. “Other...possibilities?”

“Maybe you’re visiting someone in the countryside or you simply got lost. Maybe you’re an explorer who enjoys living on the edge.” Childe lifts his eyes from the menu. “Maybe you weren’t alone.”

“You...are speaking pure nonsense. What does this have to do with my lover?”

“Of course! The lover. How could I forget? Or rather, why should I forget?”

“Huh?”

“I thought it was very crafty.” His voice lowers ominously. “It would be easy to hurry along the decomposition process when you possess a Dendro Vision.”

“Dendro? Decomposition? S-Sir Childe, are you sure you’re feeling well?”

“Are you feeling well?” The question is turned on you in an instant and you aren’t prepared to hear his next sentence. “After all, you killed a person.”

“That is a very heavy accusation.” Your pupils flit around the restaurant, frantic. “Where’s the waiter? I’d like to order now...”

“Is it?”

You glare at him. “Are you implying that I’m a murderer? You’re disgusting.”

“I’ve heard worse, my dear Mei.” His fingers drum along the menu, spider-like and ravenous. Your heart rate spikes out of control just as a cold sweat engulfs you. “Ah, but that’s not your real name. It’s (Name), isn’t it? You’re in a bit of a bind at the Northland Bank. Something about unpaid debt... That can’t be good.”

You bite your tongue so hard it breaks the thick muscle, bringing with it the metallic tang of blood. “My financial life has nothing to do with you, so please stay out of it.”

“You’re always saying ‘please.’ Did your lover say that to you when you left them for dead? When you took their Vision and watched as they battled that Ruin Guard?” His smile is toothy and far sharper than any blade you’ve come across. The menu finds the surface of the table once more. “I wonder just how hard they begged. You could’ve healed them, too, but that’s not good enough for you. A living spouse is worth nothing when you can’t inherit their funds in order to save yourself from debt. But a dead spouse can give you everything you need in order to avoid those pesky debt collectors.”

“That’s just vile. I would never stoop that low. I’m not a criminal.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“Obviously! You have no proof to back up any of your outlandish claims! It’s offensive you’d even think I’d do something so—“

“A person without a Vision doesn’t stand a chance against a Ruin Guard—unless they choose cowardice and run—but someone with a Vision could easily defeat one of those rust buckets. If we’re assuming your lover is a strong fighter, where does that leave you, the weak, little wife who only has her healing abilities and Dendro Vision to keep her safe?”

“That’s not—“

“Was it jealousy? Greed? To be honest, I don’t really care. But the Millelith will and they’ll want to arrest someone. Who do you think they’ll look for when they can’t find any suspects or a clear motive? What will they think when I show them your suspicious deposits? Surely your debt didn’t take care of itself in one night and yet the receipts tell me everything I need to know.”

You’re on the verge of snapping, glowering at your lap as you try to think of a suitable scapegoat. This is insanity in the rawest form: sick, twisted madness that keeps you glued to your seat. You’d make a scene if you could, but your table arrangement is positioned in the center of the room. From all sides, you’re going to lose and it’s a miracle the chatter in the room drowns out your own incriminating conversation. You can’t keep spinning your cat’s cradle anymore; the strings have withered away due to the dreadful truth.

“Like you’re any better,” you mutter bitterly. “You’re Fatui.”

“I suppose that’s something we have in common.” His hand covers yours, hiding the way it trembles like a tree in an unforgiving storm. “Cheer up. I’m not going to throw you to the wolves anytime soon. We’re on a date, after all.”

“How did you know?”

“I did a little exploring after you left and found a certain someone. You really are decorative with that Vision of yours.”

Your memories rush you at once. That sunny afternoon where you took your lover to those ruins—the very place you had been eyeing for months. You’d kept track of every creature and machine that passed through that area, calculating varying levels of difficulty and in the end you chose the Ruin Guard. It wasn’t much of a challenge to get your lover to hand over their Vision. Trust is known to be a double-edged sword and you wield only the finest of blades.

“You sat back and enjoyed the show.” Childe verbalizes your thoughts like a mind reader. “And when your lover was no longer of this world, you took the liberty of hiding them in a lovely grave of overgrown flowers and weeds. I must say, that’s quite impressive. Even I thought you were just a cute healer at first.”

Clenching your teeth, you finally break, tearing down the final pattern of your cat’s cradle. “It wasn’t just for money. I hate marriage, especially if it’s arranged. It’s annoying to be tied down against your will.” You’re toying with the dull Pyro Vision around your neck, a show of meekness. “I might have felt something for them if we fell in love naturally, but that was too much to hope for.”

Childe smiles as he takes all of this in, welcoming knowledge he’s already privy to.

Your voice softens to a barely audible whisper as you confirm the truth. “I let that Ruin Guard kill them. Without a Vision, they didn’t have much fighting spirit and I wasn’t going to heal them. I took their Vision because I hate mine. It’s useless to me. Plants might keep me alive with oxygen, but they aren’t going to give me strength. Even if I can’t wield Pyro, it looks better than this silly Dendro Vision.”

Your true colors are bathed in shades of ugly pessimism—of hatred and lies—and Childe feeds on such delectable negativity.

“What an entertaining turn of events!”

“So what are you going to do? Turn me in after this dinner? String me up because of all these crimes?”

“Would you like that?”

Your frown answers his question. Under all of your manufactured regret, you want to survive and live a new life—one that’s free of debt and arranged marriages. You want nothing more than to live a life full of adventure and peril. You want to be strong enough to take down multiple Ruin Guards. You want to be appreciated within the affluent circles in Liyue.

More than anything, you want a second chance. Yet the man before you holds your fate in his hands as if it’s a dying goldfish, mending those threads with his wickedness.

“You’re lucky you’ve caught me in a good mood,” Childe, after much deliberation, finally says. “Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal with the Fatui? Get lost.”

“If that’s how you truly feel, you wouldn’t mind a visit with the Millelith.”

“Get on with it.”

“That’s my girly.” You cringe at the new pet name and he chooses to overlook your uneasiness. “As for our arrangement... I’ll keep your little secret under lock and key if you do a small favor for me.”

“And that small favor would entail?”

“Fall in love with me.”

Despite the situation, you laugh. “I’ll die before I do that.”

“That’s too bad.” He removes his hand from yours, allowing it to hover over the utensils. An empty threat that means nothing when he has a Hydro Vision. “I was hoping you’d say yes. I wouldn’t want to subject you to a life of imprisonment, but if you wish to be difficult I have no problem spreading your secret.”

“No one will believe you. You’re a Fatui rat.”

“And you’re a rat with zero credibility. They might not believe me, but they’ll believe a dead person. In case you haven’t noticed, darling, corpses can’t lie and cheat. I hold every card the Millelith would need in order to convict you.”

An arrogant scoff escapes your dry throat.

“Rather than falling in love with me, why not be mine instead? Let’s skip all of the romance. I’ll tie up every loose end and you’ll never have to worry about the repercussions that come with your secrets.”

From the kitchen, a waiter finally emerges, his eyes tracking the table you and Childe are sitting at. You spot him from your peripheral. 

“So what will it be? You’d better make a decision quickly. Our waiter will be here any moment now.”

Filled to the brim with a foul sickness and desperately twisting cyan threads in an attempt to repair your cat’s cradle, you know it’s not fair. You aren’t given the luxury of a choice. You’re forced to adapt to the aftermath of your downfall. To come to terms with the abomination that is your cat’s cradle.

Childe’s victorious smirk melts into a benevolent smile as he adds, “Might I remind you that you have everything to lose. Choose wisely, darling.”