#its kind of a can't see the forest for the trees sort of thing !!

[ahollowgrave]

For Spotify Wrapped: #4!

Send me a number 1-100 and I’ll tell you the song it corresponds with on my top 100 playlist!

Conan Gray - People Watching

Ah, another Odette song that also gets stuck in my head constantly. Odette is often the observer in social settings. It's a role she mostly doesn't mind! People are fascinating and her relatively isolated upbringing makes her feel like a late bloomer socially and it is nice to study in the field. Most often it is the easy affection between long-term lovers that draws her attention. That sort of relationship is complicated when Odette pictures it for herself; something she both desperately yearns for and yet rejects. To see people who so obviously know and see one another is!! Bittersweet.

I'm only looking just to live through you vicariously I've never really been in love, not seriously

I wanna feel all that love and emotion Be that attached to the person I'm holdin' Someday I'll be falling without caution But for now, I'm only people-watchin'

Generally, she enjoys seeing this sort of. Even the sort of easy comfort you see between close friends most often fills her heart with warmth and joy! After all, to bare witness to such abundant love is confirmation of Menphina's will!

[eldritch-spouse]

You are running naked in the Jungle, searching frantically.

You look and you see another human, the first one you've seen in months and you run towards them.

“Thank God! Listen, we need to get out of here immediately, it's dangerous! Do you know the way out? Back to civilization?”

You feel a tentacle around your ankles

[Months? Couldn't be me, I'd just die. Let's downsize that to a week. Fem reader.]

TW: Reader has a self-loathing inner monologue; Reader is in a bad place mentally; Dubcon to full consent.

It was a stupid idea.

You knew that when you started it. So did everyone that tried to convince you otherwise. But common sense isn't something that could have stopped someone like you, someone who was ill enough to think taking a break from life in the middle of buttfuck nowhere would work out.

You didn't even have any sort of experience in this type of thing. Neither did you seek any kind of useful tips.

You just wanted to escape.

And you did, literally, into a forested nightmare that you got lost in not even hours after your arrival.

You just wish you could find your car, you just wish you could find somewhere warm and comforting to sleep in.

It's been days. Probably a week by now. Your stuff all disappeared, somehow. You swear you're not tripping, it all just vanished! Your phone, your bag, your keys...

Your back hurts, the nights are cold and humid and you're sure you're getting sick by now. Clean water would be a godsend, you've been drinking and cleaning yourself with some questionable-looking sources for a while. Not to mention you can't feed yourself properly, and you certainly don't know how to hunt.

Not that there's much to hunt. Every time you think you hear a peep, there's a brush of foliage and silence dominates seconds later.

You're going to die.

A horrifying reminder that has your chest pounding painfully and sweat glistening on your forehead.

You don't want to die.

But the modern human wasn't born for the wilderness, and you can only stand being clothed for a little longer before the sensation of being dirty has you clawing the skin off your body.

It was a fucking miracle that you managed to get a small fire going.

Finally.

You can heat up that fish you caught earlier.

If it's still good. Is... This is safe to eat, right?

You lean to sniff at the leaf-wrapped catch.

Eh. You can stomach it...

God, you're starving.

One thing that's been bugging you for a while is how... Deserted this whole place feels.

You're no wildlife expert, but isn't this kind of location supposed to be brimming with animals? Why is it that, everywhere you go, it's mostly just you and insects bumbling around?

Shouldn't there be some mammals here? Some birds? Maybe a squirrel or a snake... Aren't there predators you'd have to worry about in this kind of scenario?

Ironically, being alone makes you feel even more stressed out than if you were constantly surrounded by wild animals.

You huddle closer to the small fire.

Alone.

But always so on edge.

Always getting that tingling feeling crawling up your spine.

The one that screams- Look, look behind you! You're in danger!

The phantom feeling of something hovering behind your neck, goosebumps that hardly fade every time you do turn around to check and find nothing.

Is this a normal amount of paranoia for your situation? Is this your brain trying to cope with the fact that you haven't seen much wildlife so far?

Or is there something watching you from beyond the trees?

Something stalking.

A persistence predator, coming and going, to check on its latest prey.

Oh, and what a catch you are. Big and juicy compared to the things that probably roam this place -Roamed, more like...

Have you wandered into the territory of something that'll inevitably snap its jaws around your neck?

...

Just eat the fucking fish already.

Food.

Focus on the present.

The smell starts to hit your nose. Salt, oh what you wouldn't do for some simple salt. How do people get salt?

You're glad you got some berries along the way too, because this fish is probably going to taste like ass. You're sure they aren't poisonous or anything of the sort. If they are, then you've been eating them for the past few days so honestly you could keel over at any moment.

You'll see.

Once the fish has roasted enough where it's likely safe to consume, you peel it open messily and start munching indiscriminately, ravenous.

It's... Well, it's sustenance.

It's about the most nutritious thing you've eaten since you got here.

This survival thing is harder than the fake actors on TV make it seem.

A sudden crack of a branch has you pausing mid-chew.

You truly feel like a deer when your head snaps up and you stand very still to listen for a follow-up.

Nothing.

Tired eyes strain, trying to make sense of a darkened blob in the distance.

Huh.

What the fuck is that thing?

Tall.

Two legs...

Arms?!

Shit- Could it be?!

That can't be possible, someone else roaming around this maddening forest. Is that a sign that you're somehow getting closer to civilization? That you're making it out by sheer luck? What cosmic force could be on your side this time? Maybe they just live here, like some kind of off-grid retired agent- Okay, you've been watching too many movies.

Without stopping to think twice about frankly important concerns regarding this sudden development, you place the cooked fish down on the leaf it was previously wrapped in and start scooting forward towards the silhouette you saw.

That build can only belong to a man. Well, you assume as much anyway. It's hard to spot more from here, with the foliage covering their form.

" H- Hey... "

You haven't used your voice in a hot minute. Some part of you almost doesn't recognize it. A healthy dose of paranoia stops you from brushing aside the obstacles and facing this person.

But you need to at least try, right?

The worst that can happen is that you really are hallucinating for some reason or another.

With a surge of bravery, but mostly desperation, you push all the branches and greenery away to run towards this person, opening your mouth to greet them, to beg for help, ask for new clothes or just something cooked!

" Hey! Please, I need your... Help? "

Nothing.

There's no one.

But that doesn't make sense, you clearly saw a silhouette, someone was there! You didn't even have to run that far, how could it be that you already lost sight of them? That they could get away so silently?

No. Everything's wrong.

Before you know it, your vision is blurring and your face heats as tears stain your cheeks.

Why... Why would your mind fuck with you like this? Going from a shining shred of hope to complete despair in seconds has you screaming inside.

Why is this happening to you?

Are you really about to die in a stupid fucking patch of nothing just because you can't deal with the stress in your life like a normal person? Just because you made one bad decision when everything was weighing heavy on your conscience? Are you really so incompetent and so pointless as a human that this is how your story ends?

Anger and regret blind you to everything, fingers course through your knotted hair as you sob and tug, having no way to calm yourself and nothing to unleash your tension onto.

The moment you try to stomp your foot in a petulant act, you find it rooted to the ground. It takes a couple more insistent tugs upward for you to realize that something is coiled around it, keeping it firmly planted.

The train wreck of emotions and bile of self-hating thoughts takes a backseat, goosebumps pricking your skin from tip of the head to your very toes. The first thing you think of is some kind of snake, eyes bulging behind digits.

You look down frantically, shaking, but in spite of the sky being clear, all you see is this reddish mass, with neither end nor beginning. What... What the fuck is it?!

The thing tightens around your ankle, starting to slide up the length of your right leg, up to your knee. And immediately, you panic, kicking and shrieking, achieving absolutely nothing and getting promptly tugged to the ground.

Yeah.

Maybe freaking out isn't the best bet for your survival here.

Twigs and dirt get on your face, it takes some coughing and swiping to finally clear your field of view. But honestly...

You almost wish you hadn't.

Curved over your prone figure, staring down, is a creature you have never seen before.

Bipedal and quite large, like the silhouette you had glimpsed before, but so very far from human. The reddish coloration spanning the length of that bizarre body makes him -Because, again, you can only assume that is a male- Look as if he's made of flesh quickly molded together to imitate the figure of a human. What initially made you think he was skinless soon turns into the realization that there was never room for skin anyway.

Because his body is quite literally comprised of what you can only call tentacles. Tendrils and coiling tissue that clings and organizes itself in the vague lie of an organism like yours.

From elbows to fingers and knees to feet, the tendrils become a lot more discernable, coiling and uncoiling while he watches curiously. The thing around your leg is one of said tendrils, coming from the mass forming his own. Along the length of its torso, sharp-toothed mouths form and shift, almost seeming to have a mind of their own as they scent the air and snap at nothing.

That head has got to be the most striking feature. It's an amalgamation of tentacles all wrapped around each other, leaving room for an incredibly sharp golden eye to fix you in place. This thing looks like it crawled out of a sleeping ocean, like the roots and vines of an ancient jungle came together to form a totally new an extension of themselves. He looks like he's been sculped from the guts of others yet also composed in a way your mind could never hope to grasp.

Somewhere between trying to determine if you're dealing with an animal or a person, you reach the conclusion that an animal wouldn't stare you down for this long.

An animal would take a couple of seconds to determine if you're prey or predator and act accordingly. He would have snapped your neck or suffocated you like a boa constrictor with those tentacles by now.

And yet, he just stares.

Like you're the strangest creature to ever grace the woods this thing probably calls a home. You're as freaky to him as he is to you, enough so that he seems out of depth on how to proceed.

You stare back.

This has got to be the monster that you saw back there. Watching you. Now that you think about it, maybe this was the reason you'd always have a tingling sensation reminding you that you're not alone. Because he was there all that time, stalking.

Plenty were the moments he could have dug your grave until now. It's strange that he hasn't. Because surely, he's seen how you're failing to adapt to this location. Every step you take, you're stumbling and getting pricked, hungry, thirsty, afraid, disoriented- You're a fish out of water and he could have ended that misery a long time ago.

Odd.

Neither of you move. It blinks, vertically. You blink too.

And then, it makes this chitter.

Wet, like a gargle, followed by some kind of rumbling as more of those tendrils that form his limbs unwind, explore.

They reach down towards your frame when he squats, and you stifle the urge to scream at the sight of them getting nearer. Because who knows what he's going to do...

They poke and prod, grabbing lightly at parts of you, wet yet not quite. Two coil around your arms, then elbows, then wrists.

Other strays squirm around your sides, unintentionally triggering a squirming reflex as you muffle helpless laughter.

The monster seems intrigued by the noise anyway, making his own vocalizations as if attempting to communicate with you.

Abruptly, there's a blur of movement and you're yanked into the air by the arms, shrieking in fear and pain.

Not for long, because more of his freaky, flowing appendages wind around your middlesection, hips and knees, pulling in different directions.

In seconds, mere moments, this being has you suspended in the air.

Immediately, your panicked mind is going places where it absolutely shouldn't.

He seems more relaxed now that you're restrained, that gaze becomes softer, clouded with curiosity. To be monitoring you this long, you don't doubt he has his own questions and intrigue regarding how you work.

When that hulking red mass walks towards you, anxiety prevents your mouth from staying shut.

" H- Hi? "

A sound not too different from the peep of a skittish bird.

One that causes him to cock his head in a brief pause, processing the noise, and returning it with his own light gurgle. One of the mouths on his figure gets the pitch right down to a T.

Soon, he's lacing a hand through your hair, grabbing it, manipulating the protrusion and stroking your head inquisitively. He squeezes and almost scritches at your scalp, reminding you of the way someone acts when spotting a particularly cute cat. Yes, hair is likely a mystery to this creature, you can kind of understand why it'd linger here.

But that doesn't change the fact that you're being patted like a pet by a strange, unknowable creature- And that's morbidly hilarious.

When your cheeks start to puff with laughter, his attention finally deviates. You can feel the tendrils that form every digit when he splays them across your face, tracing your eyebrows, playing with the tip of your nose and even trying to poke into your ears- Something he halts when you jerk away rapidly each time.

When he starts trying to put a digit in your mouth, he's a lot more careful, aware that you have teeth and can bite, even if yours are quite small and blunt compared to the ones he sports. He succeeds, because your strength is nothing compared to that of a monster of his size and nature. The digit he dips into your mouth rests there placidly for a couple of moments.

You aren't sure what to do. Biting is not a bright idea when you know this creature can probably easily dismember you in this position. He himself looks slightly lost, as if he put his finger in your mouth out of impulse mostly. A false sense of security begets your own curiosity.

Perhaps you're just insane already -That probably says a lot about your overall mental fortitude- But seeing another living being that behaves and looks vaguely like what you might call a person makes you feel calmer than you have since the beginning of all this. You know it's an irrational feeling, that you're not any safer than before, but it's a thread of comfort you desperately cling to.

And it's what allows you to look this thing in the eye while you experimentally lick his bizarre tendril-clump of a finger.

It was only a little flick.

But naturally, he felt it.

The monster rumbles something incomprehensible at you, leaning closer still to cast a shadow upon your front. In this position, he looms between your clothed legs, though seems mostly unaware of the lurid position he's got you in, fixated on your mouth.

The sensation of his digit unfolding into two separate thin tentacles is bizarre. You picture a human finger splitting in two and curse your brain. Said tentacles poke and wriggle, capturing your tongue between themselves.

Yes, that's probably the part of your body that most closely resembles the mass of prehensile tissue composing his own.

The touch has you drooling, saliva trying to break down something probably few to no humans have ever come in contact with. He tastes slimy yet slightly rugged in some areas, not something you'd write home about.

Reflex has your poor muscle squirming to be freed, but that only causes him to tighten the grasp upon it. And, surprisingly, to let out this humid noise that sounds far too much like a groan of delight for you to interpret it as anything else.

There's a pause from your part as you wonder, incredulously, if this thing just got turned on.

There's not much time to ponder, because that digit very quickly slips out, and as he examines the sheen of drool on it, something else steadily approaches your mouth.

Ah, you've graduated from finger to proper tentacle mouthfucking. Commendable.

Making light of the situation is about the least recommended course of action, but after what you've endured so far, you think you deserve to be a little, tiny bit, insane.

Apparently convinced that you won't try to harm him, the crimson monster wiggles that darkened appendage and taps it against your lips, seeming very interested in how this is unfolding.

You should not have opened your mouth.

But you did.

And he visibly brightened up.

The tendril wedges itself in without much hesitation, resting upon your tongue. Much thicker than his digit, your jaw has no choice but to stretch, and your lips wrap around it in a rather phallic, dirty image. You barely realize you're making an effort not to scrape your teeth on the appendage. Perhaps because the sensation of it is a tad spongy and remarkably similar to that of any standard manhood.

And, as if to give reason to your lewd comparison, he shudders at the warmth of your wet mouth, the thing pulsing within you.

While he mostly simply lets the extremity sit there motionlessly, you do explore, trying to lick around it out of morbid curiosity. He watches you avidly, but apparently, what really gets to this bizarre entity is feeling you suck down the saliva that pools in your cheeks, swallowing.

Suction. Because of course he'd enjoy that. What man doesn't?

That begs the question, is the thing in your mouth part of his genitals?

Again, thinking is a privilege you can't afford when that tentacle starts sliding down your throat experimentally. It doesn't take him long to trigger your gag reflex, a violent kick and curve forward from your part causing him to pull back quickly. But he continues to test the waters afterwards, probably seeking the sensation of your stressed throat muscles tightening around him.

Instinct takes over.

Because even if he seems truly out of his depth maneuvering a human body, he's curious and, if you had to guess, attracted to you. Enough to put sensitive things in your mouth, to fetishize that part of you. Hormones make things work, which means he soon realizes he can make repetitive back and forth motions to get friction.

And so, just like that, you're getting fucked in the mouth, inside the woods, by an eldritch abomination of a monster you might find in a cheaply made H. P Lovecraft rip-off.

It should not arouse you.

It should horrify you.

... But it doesn't.

Those reactions are missing, leaving you befuddled at your own enjoyment of the situation. Are you just happy to have someone around? Has it truly been so long since you received this type of attention that you don't mind if it comes from an entity of unknown origin who is clearly not civilized? Are you just a freak actively discovering new sides of your sexuality?

Who knows anymore.

All you know is that there's a wet noise ringing every time he thrusts that slimy thing into your mouth, that he's resorted to gripping your hips hard while making intense eye contact, that he growls and gurgles whenever you have enough control to suck at him. If you had to guess, it's his unwavering, lewd and fascinated observation of your face and lips that has you likely forming a wet spot on your poor pants.

You think your wanton squirming is subtle, but reality proves otherwise when the monster starts getting distracted, one of those pupils shifting to the rhythmic movement of your legs as you shamelessly seek friction. At first, he seems irritated, as if questioning why you'd want to leave when you'd been so docile so far.

Then it appears to click.

You can almost see it in his face, in spite of how inhuman it is, that eureka moment.

And the tendril in your mouth slows down to a crawl.

He starts pawing and pulling at your pants, but not aimlessly. Not at all. He's studied you, he knows what he's looking for, the button and the zipper. You pale a few shades, the only way this thing could know how to take pants off is if it saw you doing it, if it saw you relieving yourself or trying to bathe to avoid infections.

Just how many embarrassing moments did he catch?

Too many, probably.

Still, you're pleasantly surprised to see him so easily remove the garment, fluidly shifting the positions of his tendrils to avoid tangling the fabric in them. Your pants come off without a single blemish, aside from those they sustained previously. Is he removing them so carefully because he thinks you need them to survive or is he just being considerate?

Your underwear is treated the same way, he spares no extra thought to it, and only appears to pause once your pussy is exposed.

Usually, you'd feel self-conscious in this position. There's not a lot you can do to properly groom yourself without the simple privilege of soap and whatnot... But what does it matter here? As far as you know, for this monster, pussy is pussy regardless of it being shaved or bush-heavy, "perfumed" or au naturel.

And a soaked, needy hole is hard for a lonesome monster to ignore.

He looms closer to your womanhood, watching closely, gargling a string of vocalizations you still can't interpret, until another tentacle slithers into scene and slaps against your cunt.

No, literally.

The thing whips from mound to the bottom of your entrance, swiping up and down in a pace that has you seeing stars every time it flicks your clitoris and catches on a clenching entrance. To say your legs kick out occasionally from the intensity of the stimulus is no exaggeration, but he's quick to adapt his hold so you have no way of wiggling aside.

You don't know why it's doing that, but frankly, you don't care much, it just feels good. A racing heart and a heaving chest have you tipping your head back to moan against the thing stuffed in your mouth. You realize, a little belatedly, that he was probably mostly just trying to lube that appendage with your own arousal.

Your plump pussy still tingles when the assault stops on all sides, you strain to watch what he's doing, observing the monster evaluate the sheen now coating that wriggling extremity.

He's less careful than before now, a product of excitement no doubt, parking the somewhat thicker length at your entrance and pushing in tentatively for only a couple of moments before ramming a decent chunk of that tendril into your cunt.

Eyes bulging, you spit out a beastial sound that startles the monster, panting as you try to get used to the sudden stretch. He's reached a depth within you no one else has found before, and the pressure is such so that you've been robbed of the ability to speak.

He shouldn't be that far in you.

You may come from extremely distinct backgrounds, but some things are vastly universal, like the facial expression of pain. Which, credit where credit is due, he picks up on relatively fast. The moment the entity removes a good chunk of its length, you sigh and sag in momentous relief. That's a lot better. You still feel as if you're being stuffed to the brim, but there's no longer that stabbing pain.

He understands what he did wrong after a couple of still moments and some bizarre palping sensation from your insides.

Much like the previous tendril in your mouth, this one too starts to thrust back and forth, with more care now, experimenting with differing speeds and curling in various ways as he gets closer and closer to watch how you react.

You're no researcher, but maybe if the mounting pleasure wasn't swimming to your head and making it very very hard to think coherently right now, you'd be fascinated with the way this monster is being so thorough in his examination of you, wanting to learn what makes you tick in every way, what has you choking out noises and rolling your eyes.

So intense is the heat rushing through your body from his repeated, filthy motions that you hardly notice anything happening until his all-seeing eye is almost glued to your face. The tips of the tentacles that make up his rather disturbing head unfurl and appear to drip downwards, clinging to the sides of your face so he can fix it in place, observe every detail as soon as you part your mouth to moan and gasp and babble nonsense. Each noise you make is eagerly eaten up, he tries to mimic the same motions that make you squeal as if begging for more of them.

There's no time to warn or even shriek about it, your orgasm barrels its way down your body with the intensity of a bullet, curving you in its tentacles, a breathless "oh" being all you can offer as your abdominal muscles contract and you squeeze the life out of the tendril inside you, making a mess that drips to the ground between you two.

It may not have been easy to spot in that pleasured trance, but the monster halted to watch it all unfold, mesmerized. Retracting to test the nature of the new slick now grossly painting you.

By the time you're done riding the high of your climax, you've been shifted again, this time a little lower, and you find the entity staring down to the spot where your core meets something that wasn't there before.

You'll admit you didn't have the time to properly process the full extent of his appearance when he first appeared before your stunned self. Now you're unsure if this monster had some kind of pelvic pouch, or if he merely unfolded two more tendrils out of his mass where one would expect a dick to be.

The two appendages wriggle and roll impatiently, seeking each other before parting in search of heat, of wetness, slapping against your belly and thighs. They may not look like it, but you can only guess those are his cocks. And he's considering something quietly.

It's hard to tell what he's thinking right now, the communication barrier doesn't help. Maybe he worries that the length of them will hurt you. Perhaps he wonders if he can impregnate you this way. It could just be that he thinks perhaps mating with a strange human is not a good idea, but the way those things are spreading a coat of thick precum on your skin says otherwise.

Instead of letting his stall further, a small hand reaches down to feather over the tip of one of those members, immediately getting captured and pulled at in the process. His figure rattles, hips offering a useless piston before his head snaps back up to watch you.

" ... Try putting one in. "

You murmur, knowing damn well it can't understand a single word.

He looks back down, peels back to spread your cuntlips invitingly, then seems to make up his mind, allowing the very tips of both squirming cocks to connect with your entrance. They've found warmth and they're desperate to worm in, stretching and flirting with your walls.

You grin incredulously, already trying to guess what it'll feel like, gasping as soon as he leans forward and allows more exploration. The first hint of a burn arrives as he rumbles in delight-

But a branch snaps in the distance.

And the moment is ruined because he halts immediately, your cry of frustration ignored entirely.

His body twists in an unnatural way so he can glance behind, inhuman eye seeing through greenery and undoubtedly spotting something off.

In the tense quiet that has now settled, even you pick up on the faraway mumbles of what must be people.

Eyes widening, snapping out of this episode, you begin to squirm earnestly now, wanting to see them, to find a way back, to go home!

Finally, people came looking for you!

The monster snaps back around, making you realize how truly fucked you are in these circumstances. Something flashes in that gaze, a hint of contempt, of hurt maybe.

Something too human to fall upon such a nightmarish face.

You can only scream as more tendrils dart in lightening speeds to cocoon you inside them. That single noise being all that escapes before you're forcibly gagged and physically thrown over the monster's shoulder.

His molding body swings from tree to tree in a blur of movement, taking you God knows where...

And leaving your saviors in the dust.

[reallyromealone]

DAY 🎃SEVENTEEN🎃 DOUBLE PENITRATION - NAGA! Sephiroth

Warnings

Male reader, bottom male reader, two penises, egg laying, I should have made Sidon this day ffs, biting, drugging kind of?

(Name) was facinated as he walked through the shrouded jungle, the young man was on the search of a plant for his research and this forest was the prime location of this seemingly elusive plant.

"HOLY-" (Name)s foot catching on a root and before he knew it he was tumbling down a hill "damn it..." He whispered in pain as he got up, thankfully his satchel was in tact along with its contents "replacing the magnifying glass would be a pain..." He whispered as he got up and dusted himself off, he was deep within the jungle, trees high up and endless "well I didn't come here to quit.

What he wasn't expecting was sharp eyes to follow him, a twelve foot long obsidian iridescent tail slithering through the plants as the Naga watched the adventurer closely.

Sephiroth liked this human.

He would be his mate.

"Not what I'm looking for but you are a Beauty" (name) crouched before a rare flower "you beauties have seeds thankfully so I don't have to take all of you" he said pulling out a pair of scissors from his bag and clipped a plant and pressed it into his flower book, tightening the strap over it to keep it secure "there" he said pleased, he loved pleasant surprises.

But what (name) forgot is that the flower released a gas when cut that could knock out an elephant for a few hours.

The last thing he remembered was silver hair strong arms.

(Name) grunted as he woke up, candles lighting the cave he was in as he sat in a nest of sorts "what the..."

"Ah you have awoken" a voice rang out and (name) looked to see a tall man...wait "A Naga?" He went that deep to manage to get into naga territory?

"You didn't eat me?" (Name) blurted out, normally Nagas would attack then eat "why would I eat my mate?"

What.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little confused--- I'm not your mate" he said awkardly "first off I'm male and second I'm human, can't exactly be a mate"

"Humans make excellent mates, I could smell you from miles away, you are mate" Sephiroth said simply and slithered around (name) "pretty mate..."

(Name) tried not to blush at the contact "I-I can't be your mate, I'm a researcher in the village..."

"Research here, I'll help you find that plant" Sephiroth kissed his neck and (name) tried not to blush at this beautiful man-snake, the scales that framed his cheekbones and his abs... Are all Nagas this beautiful?

"O-oh!" (Name) yelped as the Naga nipped at a sensitive part of his neck "my human is sensitive..." He chuckled and (name) pouted "what's your name human?"

"(N-name)... What's yours" he said as if he didn't have a halfie in his pants "Sephiroth..." He said simply "my mate has a pretty name" the silver haired man said, telling the human pretty words to convince him.

Nagas were bigger than humans as Nagas were predators to things like cows and humans depending on the Naga clan.

"So what do you...o-oh god!" His hips bucked as the Naga palmed his pant covered cock "A-alrighty..." Who was (name) to deny getting fucked by a handsome Naga who looked at him like he was his everything?

Nagas had an ability to draw people close, not quite hypnosis but more pharamone related and was usually used for hunting but in sephiroths case it was to calm his pretty human who melted into his touch, he was so willing already.

So docile... So bendable...

Sephiroth removed the annoying fabric and (name) shivered at the cold air against his cock "already? You humans are so needy..."

Sephiroth stroked his cock, firm and slow as (name) let out small moans and pants "I haven't even mated you get and you're already undone, cute"

Sephiroths other hand tugged and played with (name)s nipple, poor (name) choking as he moved his head to give him more space to kiss and suck.

"Close..!" (Name) panted as he thrusted into Sephiroths hand to try and get some more friction "n-no!" He cried as Sephiroth removed his hand from his cock "please please!" He begged but the Naga just tutted "behave human, I will give you what you desire" his fangs scraping (name)s neck before using his tail to manover (name) who was entangled in it and his cute ass before the Naga "I'll make sure you are more than satisfied, filled with my clutch..."

(Name) was dizzy as he let the Naga do as he desired, gasping as a thick tongue circled his rim before pushing in "o-oh god..." (name) clung to the thick tail, feeling the muscles move throughout it as Sephiroth began stretching him out with his tongue, hitting every spot within (name).

"Please... Need it" (name) whispered as his body shook at each thrust, god if this is what his tongue could do Imagine..."two?" He said hazily as he saw two cocks amerge from slit "to ensure proper mating, ones for fertilizing and ones for eggs.." Sephiroth said moving (name) so his back was against Sephiroth chest "gonna fuck your tight little human hole twice to make sure.."

(Name) was hypnotized as he stared down the two twin cocks that had ridges that would hit the best spots "both.." (name) whispered "gimmie both.." (name)a eyes were dilated fully and Sephiroth looked curious "you humans are kinky little things..." He grinned and lined them up "you asked for it..."

When pushing in, (name) struggled to calm down and tears built up "do you trust me?" Sephiroth asked and (name) could barely focus as he nodded and before he knew it Sephiroth bit into his neck, pain rushing through him before his body relaxed and pleasure filled his being "hah...what...?" He said as the Naga slowly bottomed out "my venom works as a setative of sorts, you couldn't relax...so..."

"Feels good.." (name) said and yelped as Sephiroth began thrusting, slow and deep before picking up speed, the stretch delicious and both cocks hit every spot that could be hit "fuck!" He cried as he let the other fuck him like a doll, hooking his arms under the humans legs and pounding into him.

"yesyesyes!"

"M-more!"

"Please fuck! Oh god!"

(Name) moans echoed through cave and Sephiroth used his tongue to tongue fuck his mouth as the two felt themselves grow close "mh!" (Name)s body shook as he felt hard objects shoot inside him along with got semen, his own cum shooting on his chest and sephiroths tail "fuck..."

He barely remembered passing out again, letting the Naga take him deeper within the cave.

He couldn't even bring himself to be mad.

[loveydoveymonsters]

this isnt a specific monster but like a sort of humanoid praying mantis x reader?? I tried finding something similar to what I have in mind but I could only find aliens not actual mantis people, and I really want that forest-cryptid kinda vibe not sci-fi space. do with this what you will :)

Well my sweet dove lets see what I can do for you, I hope you enjoy!.

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Praying For A Miracle

Hybrid!Praying Mantis x reader

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

You have strayed too far from your path. A little forest nymph that's wandered too far away from their God. The night is harsh and unforgiving as you stumble through the thick bramble and bushes, desperately searching for shelter in this magical forest. Creatures of all different shapes and sizes reside here. Creatures who are seeking refuge from warmongers and poachers who would rather see their heads on spikes than on their bodies. Most of them are friendly, but there are some strays that sneak in under your God's eye, corrupted creatures that go unnoticed until it's too late. Usually, they target little nymphs like you, defenseless, weak, and delicate, you have no way of defending yourself against an attacker should you face one. That's why you shakily wander the woods searching for a tree trunk you could reside in or perhaps a friendly creature that could bring you back to your home. 

It was your own fault, you realize that you shouldn't have wandered off but you saw flowers, beautiful flowers that never bloom. You foolishly got distracted and now you're in the perilous clutches of a corrupted creature that had gotten the jump on you while you were lost in your terrified thoughts. You can't even tell what it is, it's large, and snarling, and its fangs look like they would hurt if they pierced your soft skin. You shake and tremble quietly. It's not in your nature to scream or fight. Nymphs are supposed to show kindness and love to all creatures including the ones that intend to harm them. That's why you lay there, shaking uncontrollably ready to accept your fate, your brutal death at this evil beings’ claws. Your God is nowhere to be found, probably drowning in the wine that was gifted to them during the last festival of the forest. You're afraid, yet weirdly you're at peace. You've had a very peaceful life, while your death may be violent, at least you know you've never had to worry about anything. Not predators, not starving, not becoming so dehydrated you could barely move. You've been taken care of so you guess this is the end…

The creature cries out in pain when something bites its nape. It reels back and tries to swipe at the thing currently attaching itself to its spine. You catch the sight of something green before it's gone just as quickly, the creature spinning trying to whip the hybrid off of him. You can see human legs and roughly a human body but you also see antennae, wings, and large raptorial legs that act as its hands. You honestly don't know what you're looking at but regardless of that, you're thankful for the creature's aid. As the violent creature finally shakes off the hybrid and runs off completely terrified you shakily stand and make your way over to your savior. He stands as well rushing over to check on you. Nymphs are treasured amongst non-corrupt creatures so it wasn't surprising when he immediately started fussing over you and using his raptorial arms to check you over.

“What…are you my savior? You're a hybrid of some sort but I can't seem to place the creature you're mixed with. Please do enlighten me, my hero.”

You stare as his greenish-tinted skin becomes a few shades darker as he blushes. Evidently he's not used to receiving such praise from nymphs, being called a hero and a savior is new. He doesn't dislike it but he's certainly not used to it either, it takes him a moment to recover before he can speak to you without stuttering. While he is recovering you just stare at him, wide-eyed, curious, like a child staring at a brand new toy. 

“I-I'm a praying mantis hybrid…Your God created me this way when they were first experimenting with creation. I am the result of a few failed hybrids…My name is Bleez. No need to introduce yourself little nymph I've been watching you for a while. I'm well aware of who you are although I'm not a hundred percent sure why you're wandering the woods alone.”

“Oh, I strayed from my usual path and stopped to smell some flowers. I guess I walked too far away and couldn't find my path again so I guess I was just looking for a guide to help me find my way home! Or somewhere to stay for the night. I'm sure I'd have better luck if I could actually see where I was going.”

“You're welcome to stay with me, I don't live far from here, come. There are far worse creatures than that one in this part of the woods.”

Before you can respond he lifts you up and slings you over his shoulder, stumbling slightly at how light you are to him. All nymphs are light though regardless of their body type, they're essentially made of pure air and the spirit of the God themselves. You look back at him, turning your body and just sitting on his shoulder noticing how his wings stretch out and cover his body. You tilt your head, analyzing his features once again. It's rare to see a hybrid, let alone a hybrid insect yet here you are, riding on the shoulder of one, one that risked his life to save you when he did not need to. 

“So Bleez, you say my God created you? How come I've never seen you before? I've been alive for quite a long time you know.”

“I've kept myself hidden, I'm not exactly confident in my appearance. Other creatures run from me even though I'm not a predator, it started to hurt after a while so I just sheltered myself away. Plus there was no way a beautiful nymph like you was ever going to notice me.”

You stare at his face for a minute, just now noticing the extra long mouth parts coming from the corner of his lips. It must help him eat meat and prey if he does decide to become a predator. You don't see anything wrong with him though, you don't understand why other creatures are afraid of him. Then again you don't understand why creatures are afraid of predators either. You're designed to love all creatures equally and you find them all equally beautiful, equally handsome, yet there was something about this one, perhaps it's the fact that he saved you. That made you just a little bit more loving.

“What are you talking about? You look amazing. My hero is the handsomest hybrid in the world!”

He nearly drops you when you say that but thankfully he arrived at his home in a tree trunk, the tree is as wide as a small cabin. He opens the side of the trunk and sets you down on the soft padding that he uses as his bed before shutting the trunk behind him and lighting a lantern as well as a fire to keep you warm. The magic of your forest amazes you sometimes, the fact that a small home can fit into the trunk of a tree without any worry of the tree being set ablaze by the fireplace makes you stare at it in awe. He awkwardly stands beside you, before sitting on the floor and pulling out a cast iron cauldron to make you some soup. He's taking care of you, nymphs are precious, nymphs are everything, that's what he's been taught since he was little. He sees why, you're so innocent, so pure, you must be protected at all costs and he wants to make sure you're fed and kept warm and you enjoy your stay for however long you reside with him.

The soup is good and healthy, and you remain nice and warm throughout the night. He slept on the floor and gave you a ton of wool blankets to keep you comfortable while he slept with a small sheet that you could almost see through because of how thin it was. About halfway through the night, you woke up to his teeth chattering, looking over the makeshift bed to see him shaking and trembling. You weren't having that at all, you were a guest in his house but that didn't mean you had to be treated like royalty. You knew he would argue if you tried to get him to climb into bed with you so instead you joined him on the floor. Wrapping all of the large wool blankets around both of you before curling into his back, hoping your body heat would be enough to comfort him, the human in him must be ice cold. You flinched when you brushed against his arm and felt the true temperature of his body. Regardless of how uncomfortable you were you went back to sleep and you slept well, especially when he stopped shivering which reassured you that he was finally sleeping peacefully himself.

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The next morning came soon enough, you awoke to the smell of eggs as he once again cooked for you. You realized you were back in bed and you looked out of his window in the trunk only to see chickens, cows, a bunch of barn animals outside. He does absolutely everything he can not to go into civilization which means raising these animals to get the ingredients he needs for food and nourishment. You find that impressive, he's built his own little world just outside of the outskirts of the center of the forest where most of the creatures live. You turn to him taking note of his abdomen and the scars over it and you watch as his antennae twitch before he turns to you having sensed your movement. 

“Good morning little nymph! I've made you food and here’s some milk to drink. I figured we could start heading back to your home as soon as you're done eating. People are probably worried about you.”

You eat your food, staring at him in awe. He's so caring, so kind. 

“Oh, no one's worried about me. Nymphs go missing all the time eventually we all wind up getting replaced. Hey, how'd you get those scars? Have you fought very many predators out here?”

“I would rather not discuss that with you nymph. Doesn't that bother you? That nobody would miss you if you were gone? I'd be so concerned I'd search the entire forest before even thinking about “replacing” you.”

“Aw that's sweet, are you starting to like me yet? Sounds like it.”

“H-Hardly…let's get going, you certainly did stray far because we're not exactly close to any nymph nests. Would you like to ride on my shoulder again? You were quite light so I don't mind.”

“Actually I think I'd rather stay here so that's what I'm going to do okay?”

He stares at you for a little while, a strange smile on his face as if he didn't really register what you said. When it did click though he looked at you completely shocked, he's dead quiet as he tried to ponder what to say next, he's got nothing, this was such a strange situation for him, no creature had ever flat-out told him they were going to stay with him before. This little nymph just pushed him straight over the edge into a massive pit of anxiety and confusion. 

“......Huh?”

“I want to stay with you! You have such a beautiful home and I'm sure I could be of use to you and helping to tend to your creatures! Plus you said you'd miss me if I was gone.”

“No no no no no. I said I would be worried if you randomly went missing. There's a difference there. Why would you want to stay here?...No it's absolutely out of the question I'm bringing you home now.”

“You absolutely are not. I'm not going with you willingly so you'd be forced to hurt me if you're trying to transport me. I will scream Bleez don't test me.”

“You are absolutely infuriating, if you insist on staying here then stay here! I highly doubt you'll last more than a day without any type of socialization. Nymphs are social creatures, I know all about them you need to be around people. You'll be begging to go home within a day.”

“Why would I need to be around people when I have you?”

He groans in frustration before storming off, leaving the small home in the tree trunk to go tend to his barn animals. Yet he did not argue with you after that, in the coming days, he found himself enjoying your company, willing you to stay longer even if you started getting bored. You didn't start getting bored, like you said before you don't need other people when you have him. As long as you can socialize with one person you won't become lonely, you won't start craving that social attention that most nymphs need. You thought eventually he would get tired of you and force you to leave yet he didn't. He in fact encouraged you to stay and cheered you on whenever you helped him reign in his sheep and cattle. He was proud of you, of how far you came in such a short amount of time. Little did he know you would only continue to grow, no longer weak and defenseless. You wanted to protect your new home so he started teaching you how to defend yourself, how to defend your creatures. Eventually, he found himself wanting to sleep with you more, wanting to be by you, craving you more than anything. His antennae twitch whenever you're around, and his wings stretch and hug you tightly whenever you're close enough. He's falling for you, and he's falling fast, his large eyes stay locked on you whenever you're out in the fields that surround his tree. His long mouth parts rub against each other in an attempt to stimulate him at least a little bit…This is starting to be quite the problem. 

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

It all comes to a head six months after you started living with him. He climbed into bed with you and for the first time in his life, he felt, hard, insanely hard. Painfully erect as he pressed against you. There's no way you didn't feel it either, the way your eyes widened and you turned to stare at him. It was obvious he had no experience, he'd been isolated since the day he was born. He had no interest in ever acting on whatever urges he had so eventually he just didn't feel them anymore. But now that he had the potential to have a lover, someone to mate with it was driving him insane. The mantis in him was also worried, aware that females tend to eat the heads of the male once they finish their mating ritual however he's aware you aren't a mantis so he should be just fine. He doesn't even know if you want him though, he's not exactly attractive to most people, to most beings that is. However, you never once shied away from him, you always treated him like he was special and yet also normal. You've seen so many creatures that you probably are attracted to him in the way he's attracted to you, he shouldn't be afraid but he is. He can barely stutter out the next words that leave his mouth. 

“H-Help me…P-Please.”

You smile, gently kissing one of the mouthparts. This beautiful nymph couldn't possibly be trying to comfort him yet you are. You shift between his legs rubbing your thighs against his slacks, knowing that he's hurting. You kiss his lips gently, reaching behind him to stroke his wings, your other hand moving to his antennae. You're stimulating every single part of him, he's losing his mind in pleasure, his hips moving erratically. He can't control it, he's sorry but before he can stop he finds himself spilling all over your thighs making them sticky as you continue to stroke his most sensitive spots. You don't stop until he's hard again until he's needy and aching for you. Begging for you to touch him, begging you for more and more until he can't take it anymore. Then without you having to even do anything he cums again completely untouched. Just a thought of being inside you was enough to stimulate him to the point that he was a panting, blubbering mess. 

“F-Fuck…Fuck more, give me more please I need it. I'll be good I promise. Please please please-”

He moans desperately when you lift your leg, keeping him on his side and letting him slide between your thighs. You don't want him to roll over and crush his wings. You traced the patterns on his wings as you took his hard cock and positioned him at your slick entrance…He moved on instinct, shoving himself inside of you, nearly finishing right then and there but not wanting to disappoint you. He forces himself to stop moving, panting into your neck, licking up the column of your throat before using his long mouth parts to bite down on you remarkably hard, making you bleed. You cried out in pain and he apologized but he bit you again. He needed to do something to anchor himself or he was going to lose his mind, he started moving. Slow grinding thrusts that had you feeling every single inch of him. His wings flapped and slapped his back, the sound distracting you but you're brought right back into the moment when he suddenly starts moving fast, hard, he once again can't control his hips.

“I'm sorry, fuck I'm sorry. You feel so fucking good so good I'm gonna-”

He spills inside you, his raptorial arms wrapped around you tightly as he prods at you, that's his way of checking on you, trying to show that he cares. He pulled out of your slick a mix of your juices falling out of you. The both of you lay there panting, it was quick, it was needy, it was absolutely perfect. He stares at you for a long while before suddenly breaking the silence, wanting to talk to you, wanting to hear your voice, wanting to know if you enjoyed him even though he was fairly new at this. 

“Are you…okay? Did you enjoy it?”

Your giggling was music to his ears. Your smile is his sun.

“Yes I enjoyed myself thoroughly…who knew your antennae would be so sensitive.”

You caress his head right around the base of his antennae and he shutters.

“D-Don't do that.”

You pull your hand away and kiss him softly, caressing his cheeks and then reaching down to caress his scars. 

“Do you still want to know what happened? How I got these scars?”

“Only if you're comfortable with telling me.”

He hesitates for a moment before sighing, caressing your hair, and finally speaking.

“I told you how your God created me right?”

“Yes, although you didn't seem too happy about it.”

“I was a nymph once. I used to be just like you until I stole from your God so they turned me human and kept me imprisoned until they decided to fuse me with a creature. I had a choice but I didn't choose the creature they wanted so they fused me with the mantis. It was painful, agonizing. I suppose I deserved it. I knew what would come if I got caught stealing from a god. The torture I endured is something I would never wish on anyone little nymph.”

“...I'm so sorry Bleez I don't know what else to say.”

“There's nothing else to say, my love. I simply wanted you to know because you were curious. Rest now when you wake in the morning I'll make you some breakfast and we'll go for a walk on the same trail we met. How does that sound?”

“That sounds nice…Goodnight, my love”

“Goodnight.”

From that moment on everything changed, you were his and he was yours. All the trauma, all the agony, all the abandonment you worked through it together, and eventually he was able to overcome the fear he had of your God and rejoined society long enough to get officially wed to you. That was all he needed you. A little nymph that got lost in the woods, a little nymph that was praying for a miracle. He just so happened to answer.

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[triscribe]

The Force is a forest

So I've had a thought.

There are all sorts of posts on this webbed-site that analysis Star Wars, and the Force, and the Jedi vs. Sith dynamic - some I agree with wholeheartedly, others have turned my own worldview on its head, and a select few make me want to throw my computer out a window.

Now I've got one of my own.

The Force, when you come down to it, is an ecosystem. A metaphysical inclusion of all ecosystems in the universe, technically, but for purposes of this analysis we're just going to call it a forest. All different types of fauna and flora, from the big to the small, mega to microbial. All different kinds of networks and relationships, spanning the whole of the forest to just occupying tiny nooks, separate entities working in harmony and others finding the best possible spots to take advantage. Death and rot have their place, too, because nothing lives forever, and when something decays, it provides nourishment to an entirely new generation of life.

The Dark Side is not death and rot.

The Dark side is man-made machinery.

It is the chainsaws, the flamethrowers, the bulldozers, coming in and taking taking taking until there's nothing left, cutting down trees and removing undergrowth and tearing at the earth itself for resources to steal away.

The Jedi Order is big on ideals, on finding your path towards enlightenment and spiritual contentment - in other words, maintaining and watching over a patch of woodland, finding joy in small things and taking time to appreciate each individual detail. That isn't to say sometimes a person doesn't get annoyed, or outright angry, that this plant isn't growing where it should, or that animal is stealing more than its fair share, and at that point, out comes a hatchet or a gun (or a lightsaber), to fix what is seen as the problem. But is the destruction truly necessary? Could the annoying plant have been gently pulled from the soil, and moved elsewhere? Could the irritating animal have been trapped and relocated rather than killed? The point of being a Jedi is not that moments like these never happen: it is learning from them, learning restraint and how to see another option, so that each member of the Order can strive to do and be better.

But if one refuses to mind themselves, if they think well, there was no harm done in cutting down that one weed, or eliminating a single pest. They've joined the cycle of life and death, after all. No great loss to the ecosystem. And that makes it easier to justify the next time a bigger plant needs to be removed, a larger animal exterminated, rearranging the woodland to be better - if it's yours to protect then it's also yours to tend as you wish, right? And you really want that particular tree out of the way for something else to grow instead, but wait, now it all looks wrong, the dratted bugs are gone but nothing new is growing, you cleared out all the frustrating birds but now there's rotting fruit everywhere, why doesn't it look nice anymore, why won't this stupid piece of land do what you want it to? Fine, if it won't cooperate, tear the whole thing down.

But you can't recreate what was lost at that point. Because the level of annihilation you unleash is Not part of the usual cycle of life and death. It is wholly un-natural, and nothing will be as it once was. Perhaps this bit of forest will recover in time, after you've finished and left; perhaps not. Maybe a more gentle soul will come in to repair what they can, in the aftermath or long decades later.

(Maybe, at the very last moment, you are struck by realization, and halt, and attempt to redeem yourself by healing the harm caused - but even then, long years of work won't be enough to restore what was there. Even if the forest does grow back under penitent hands, it will be something new, and possibly not ever equal to its former self.)

Tldr: the Force, as a whole, will have small ups and downs, the occasional wild fire catastrophe, and a wealth of different experiences every day in every place. Individuals can get frustrated, can feel a whole range of emotions, and sometimes inflict more harm than they mean to. Jedi, too, which is why they strive towards the ideal of "there is no emotion, there is peace". Because that's a better path than losing one's temper every day; to tend to the forest, instead of harming it. But Sith? Those who get attached to what they want above any other consideration, who cling to a thing, a person, a vision of how things should be?

They're the ones bringing out woodchippers, sooner or later.

[raspberry-nightmare]

Discovering a Nightmare

Your bare feet smack against the soft dirt and leaves of the forest floor as you run as fast as you can, heart pounding and breath coming out in heavy pants.

Despite this, the skeletal fingers of the tree branches above your head don't seem as if they're moving, only swaying slightly against the somewhat lighter shade of darkness that makes up the moonless and starless sky above. Shadows seem to drip like ink off of the naked trees, crawling across the ground and reaching for you like the hands of a hundred rotting corpses.

Behind you there's a deep and rumbling growl, the kind of sound that vibrates through your chest, felt more than heard, and there's a hot breath that blows across your neck on the exhale.

You let out a sob and try to scream, but only a whisper comes out. No matter how hard you try to run it feels like you're moving in slow motion, and no matter how much effort you put into screaming nothing comes out but your own breath. You swear you can hear the trees laughing at you as the branches move ever closer, clacking together like rattling bones.

Your skin itches as the prickly tips of the twigs begin to scrape against you, not hard enough to hurt but just hard enough for you to understand you've been caught. There's no escape. Any minute now you'll be pinned down by the forest and that thing that's stalking you will seize you in its claws...

And then from out of the monochrome black and gray of the trees, there comes a streak of red, moving so fast it almost seems as if a sword blade is slicing through the darkness.

Trees creak and groan as they fall away around you, and you somehow find you can move again, but only enough to turn as you track that flash of red. It's... You're not sure, actually. Your mind can't find the right words for it, but it's strange.

A long and stretched-out body, covered in fur in varying shades of red, with six legs and a mouth that looks as if it takes up a full third of the creature when it opens it. The thing stands hunched before you, back arched as it forms a barrier between you and the thing that was chasing you. If it weren't facing down the hulking mass of shadows, eyes, and teeth you had been running from you might actually be more afraid of it.

Somehow, however, you're not afraid. Shocked, perhaps, even wary, but afraid? The weird monster manages to be just cute enough to stop that feeling.

At least, at first, it's cute. Because once the writhing eyes and teeth turn from you to face the red beast, the creature starts to grow. One moment it was only a little larger than a domestic house cat, and the next it's reached the size of a bear. The paws get larger, teeth and claws elongating until they're like glimmering white daggers. It seems to grin somehow as its mouth spits its head open, and four eyes open wide to fixate on the shadow monster.

You find yourself shaking, hoping you never see it look at you like that, hungry and drooling.

The two creatures throw themselves at each other, a tangle of red and black, and you want so desperately to run. Or scream. Or cry. But it's like the ground has you rooted to the spot, and your mouth won't even open when you try. All you can do is watch as the two monsterous creatures grapple in an attempt to subdue the other.

At first, it looks like the mass of eyes and teeth might be winning, but then the red beast manages to get its jaws around a section of twitching blackness, and it's all over. There's a sickening crunch as the creature bites down, and all the eyes go rolling in terror as the shadow monster tries to escape.

You're almost transfixed, all thoughts of running dissolving into nothingness, as the horror you had been running from earlier is sucked down the maw of the red-furred beast as if it were some sort of delicious treat.

A pink tongue licks along the too-large jaws of your saviour, and then it turns to face you. Even though you had just been terrified of facing those eyes a moment ago you somehow know that it doesn't mean any harm, at least not to you.

The creature begins to pad forward, shrinking in size as it slowly returns back to the cuter form it had before, and suddenly you're aware that you're no longer in a winter forest. Around you are fields of moonlit flowers, glowing as they sway beneath a sky filled with uncountable trillions of stars.

The red creature sits and looks up at you, mouth a perfectly normal size for its long body, and it occurs to you that it looks somewhat like a stretched-out red panda. If red pandas had six legs and four eyes.

"Thanks for the meal." It says, its voice low but androgynous, gender escaping it the same way description managed to evade it for so long.

"You're welcome?" You manage to say back, your tongue finally unstuck from the roof of your mouth.

The creature begins to stand back on its hind legs, form shifting before your eyes into something more humanoid that strikes you as both pretty and handsome. It's not quite human but also-

Your eyes open and you're staring at the ceiling of your room, a cold sweat causing your tangled sheets to stick to your skin. The way they're wrapped around your legs causes you to panic for a moment and you start fighting against them, the dream beginning to fade from your mind almost immediately.

Even though you're sure you saw something human in those last moments before you woke up, the only thing you can remember is some strange red monster that had fought and devoured another.

"What a stupid nightmare." You sigh, flopping back into your bed.

[queenlucythevaliant]

Here's what I'll say regarding choice of worship music (and I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this, so bear with me): I think it's very easy to get burned out on specific kinds of worship, no matter what they are. And that kind of burn-out is hard.

I grew up at a church that did 95% CCM for worship, and after a while it either (a) exhausted me emotionally or (b) bored me. By the time I hit high school, I really really struggled with corporate worship because it felt as though I wasn't responding as I was supposed to. Getting to sing mostly hymns at the church I attended at college was a huge breath of fresh air, and it helped me immensely in terms of re-orienting my heart towards Christ-centered worship (as opposed to me-centered worship.) For the first time in my life, I found myself listening to Christian music on my own time during the week.

I watched the recent Jesus Revolution movie with mom over the summer. Her family started attending Calvary Chapel (then-nascent hippy church in Orange County) midway through her childhood, and she got really excited talking about the difference between the hymns she remembered from early elementary school ("we sang the whole hymnal rather than selecting for the really good ones like they do at your church") and the much more dynamic music that came out of Maranatha and other early "contemporary" Christian groups. She actually played me a whole bunch of the songs she grew up with the next morning. They sounded horrifically cheesy to me, but she got real joy out of it and even ended up texting a few songs to my aunt.

And yet, my mom has remarked a whole bunch of times to me that she really can't stand current CCM; that she desperately misses singing the old hymns. I look at myself and my own experience and I can totally see myself coming back to some of the CCM songs I grew up with and encountering Christ through them all new again. As recently as last month, I had a really beautiful experience driving back from a concert crazy late at night with my sister and listening to some of the old Chris Tomlin and Hillsong stuff that I hadn't heard in a while. It brought me back to a sense of incredible comfort and safety nestled up against God like a baby chick. Do I want to worship with that sort of music every week right now? No, definitely not. But it has its place.

Obviously worship transcends something as incidental as music genre. It's an expression of why we were created: glorifying God and enjoying him forever --- and yet, because of the fall, it's really easy to get burned out on specific expressions of worship. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing so much as just a symptom of the fall. I also think that people who are really burned out on a particular kind of worship can be really, really obnoxious about it. I know I was for a while, and I still definitely have my hangups with CCM.

But like- I don't think it's so much about judgement or superiority towards the kind of worship music that you're burnt out on as it is just the overwhelming sense that that kind of worship music felt exhausting and this kind of music actually feels like I'm able to worship again. I know when I started singing hymns at church, it just felt like I'd found the Rosetta Stone. I was suddenly so much less in my own head on Sunday mornings and oh my goodness singing to God was a joy again and I can't remember but I don't think it's ever been a joy like this before has it?? It was almost like my head was spinning with some great new revelation and when I was obnoxious about it it was mostly a manifestation of my being like Why didn't anyone ever tell me it could be like this? Why isn't everyone singing hymns? It's just so much better this way!

Mostly, it just feels like saying "don't be overly critical of how other Christians like to worship" kind of. Misses the trees for the forest, if that makes sense? Like, it's accurate to the big picture, it's absolutely a true and worthwhile thing to say. But at the same time it kind of rankles for me because it misses how it feels to be truly and deeply alienated by the kind of worship you're exposed to.

For better and for worse, worship is (I think) the spiritual discipline that engages the emotions most directly. The feeling of being in a group of people all worshipping together, and your heart just isn't responding right no matter how you try to re-focus and orient it? It's one of the loneliest feelings I know.

[winterlogysblog]

Sacred Tree and Fairy Realm Headcanons

We don't really talk about the Sacred Tree and the Fairy Realm too much so allow me...

🍃 The Sacred Tree is a sentient being that simply wants peace for everyone. It has no physical form unlike the Demon King and Supreme Diety but it can connect it's consciousness to the current Fairy King.

🍃 The Sacred Tree is neutral on all fronts and doesn't want anything to do with the fightings of the Demon King and Supreme Diety but as all sibling fights do The Sacred Tree is inevitably caught in the crossfire.

🍃 The Sacred Tree is described as kind and benevolent a being that doesn't hold any malice. However, according to Meliodas and King it's also the one diety one should NEVER piss off.

🍃 The Sacred Tree has the closest ties to the Human Realm. It's the Sacred Tree's duty to cultivate the Human Realm making it a viable and prosperous place to live as ordered by Chaos but the Sacred Tree have other plans. Thus, making the Human Realm a place where all races are welcome to gather and live together in harmony. That was the plan. Unfortunately, the Human Realm became a battlefield instead for several thousands of years. Only when the war officially ended the Sacred Tree's wish is finally within reach. Then, Chaos is awakened and Arthur started tearing through Britannia, stealing pieces of land for his own. The Sacred Tree isn't too pleased about it.

🍃 Inside the Sacred Tree there is a chamber that only the Fairy King can enter. It's guarded with an incredibly strong magic force for inside this chamber holds the tree called "Yggdrasil" the tree of life. It holds great importance to the nature of this world for if Yggdrasil dies, everything dies along with it.

🍃 Yggdrasil is made by the Sacred Tree to help continuously cultivate the Fairy Realm and the Human Realm for eons.

🍃 The Fairy King is the Sacred Tree's eyes and ears. This is how it decides if the current is worthy to continue ruling and how it is able to see and perceive the world.

🍃 The Sacred Tree has a fascinating intrigue about the Giant Race and likes how their innate power over the Earth perfectly harmonizes with the Fairy Race's connection with nature and plant life for there is no Earth there will inevitably be no life.

🍃King and Diane's union greatly pleases the Sacred Tree and with the official union of the two clans the Sacred Tree welcomes the Giants into the Fairy Realm. Think of it as a wedding gift of sorts.

🍃 Everything within the Fairy Realm comes in all shapes and sizes from giant mushrooms to huge and lush trees surrounding the place, if you can't fly and can't see high up you'll be lost. The Sacred Tree is the biggest, largest and highest thing in the Fairy Realm you'll never miss it.

🍃 Entrance to the Fairy Realm are usually opened, there is only one preexisting portal that leads to it which is located somewhere around the ruins of the forest that's destroyed 3,000 years ago, that is currently under the Liones Castle.

🍃 There is an entrance to the Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm located in the Sacred Tree. The entrance to the Demon Realm is all the way down to its roots. The entrance to the Celestial Realm is all the way up to the very top of the Sacred Tree.

🍃 The Sacred Tree adores King's children and Lancelot, gifting each of them blessings on the day of their birth.

[adobe-outdesign]

If you haven't already reviewed them, what're your thoughts on the Seedot line? I've recently discovered I quite enjoy these Little Guys, and I'm kind of curious about others thoughts on them!

Seedot! Super simple—basically just an acorn with feet—but it's justifiable seeing as it's just there to be built upon by its evos. The brown and yellow palette is nice, and I really like the weird ringed eyes. It also has a bit of motif with the lined rings on its feet, cap, and eyes that will be built upon as it evolves.

And speaking of building upon elements, the 'dex states that Seedot like to scare other Pokemon, which ties into it gaining dark type in the future.

NIPPLES Nuzleaf is, in my opinion, a really good middle evo. Seedot is an acorn (seed) and Shiftry is, spoilers, a tree, so Nuzleaf is kind of a sapling of sorts. Instead of just looking like a smaller Shiftry however, it's this neat little humanoid creature with "pants" (note the ring motif from Seedot), a mask (continued from Seedot's eyes), a long nose, and a leaf on its head that it plucks and plays like a flute to make people uneasy. It makes a lot of sense between stage 1 and 3, but it's its own unique design and enjoyable in its own right.

My only nitpick with Nuzleaf is that Seedot has yellow eyes, Shiftry has yellow eyes, and Nuzleaf... doesn't? It's not like the white eyes look bad or anything, but it's strange from a continuity standpoint. I also wouldn't have minded some thicker black outlines around the eyes, both to make them pop but also pay homage to Seedot's ringed eyes.

Very unpopular opinion, but Shiftry is one of my all-time favorite Pokemon. I might just be biased from using one as my ace in XD, but this thing and its deranged nutcracker jaw is a great fantasy creature and I honestly can't get enough of it.

At this stage, it's clear what the line's theme is—they're tengus, yokai that live in forests and trick people. This is where Shiftry's long nose, single-heeled geta feet, leaf fans/wind-based moves, and grass association come from. It's also why it looks infuriated (tengu are usually depicted as being angry all the time). It's really solid conceptually and makes for a unique design.

Visually, the green leaves pop nicely against the plain brown body, and I really like the unexpected element of the white fur and animal ears. It also has some rings on its shoulder to bring that element through from the previous designs.

My only nitpick is that it seems very short proportionally—I always misremember it as being a bit taller than it is, but in reality its head is basically the same size as its body, which feels a bit off. Also, while the geta sandals do make sense thematically, they do feel a bit artificial and "carved"—I feel like they could've maybe given it more bird-like root feet instead, as tengu are associated with birds and sometimes depicted as such (the long nose comes from a beak, for example).

And my only other nitpick is that the line should get some kind of new form(s)! As much as I like Shiftry it's objectively pretty awful to use, with very poor stats. It already looks pretty feral—imagine a past paradox form based off of ginkgo trees, or a Hisuian form that leans into the tengu idea. It could become flying-type due to its wind/fan thing, or it could become psychic as the 'dex states that it can read foe's minds. Really, there are dozens of different spins you could put on these guys.

Anyway, the point is, I really like this line. There's a good sense of progression, each stage is distinct, the theme is clear, and the designs are straightforward. Great monsters all around.

[guppybubbles]

oooo,, i really like your writing!!

if you’re still taking prompts- mayhaps something including.. dragons(i 👉👈 i really like dragons), or mers? as for with who, my personal preferences are peer pressure duo or alliumduo, but if you’re not up for writing either of those, feel free to do whatever!

apologies for not following the fake title format, i am- not good at titles of any kind,, dkdnkdndkdk. hope you have a good rest-of-your-day! — 🎲

GOLD FEVER [1/2]

Ranboo is an Enderman being hunted down by monster hunters. Unable to protect themselves, they offer tons of gold to The Blood Dragon.

Word Count: 2777 words

CONTENT WARNING!!! : mentions of scars and swords, general fear, fear of death, implies being eaten (but nothing happens)

( A/N: no need to apologize!! the fake titles prompts was just smth beckyu wanted to do! nothing wrong with not following the format <33 anyways, i hope you enjoy! teehee )

He's been standing here for an hour, maybe even two. Ranboo just can't bring themselves to enter. The entrance looked so intimidating, he can't even imagine what lies inside.

The mouth of the cave was huge, big enough to possibly fit every single tree in this forest. Every time he tries to hype himself up to go inside, his fear pulls him back to where he started.

But would he rather die by hunters who've been known to make their bounties deaths slow and merciless, or die by a dragon who would most likely just make their death as quick as possible?

Yeah, dragon. Dragon sounds better.

Ranboo took in one deep breath of air and stepped in once more, trying to ignore the strong urge to run away and return home. Even with their excellent night vision, the cave still looked dark. They could barely make out the claw marks scratched on the walls. It felt like something out of a horror book.

He knew he was nearing more into the dragon's den when he noticed thin stripes of light being hidden behind a thick layer of leaves. Ranboo felt like their heart was going to break out of their chest with how intense it’s been beating. As quietly as possible, they pushed through the foliage and held their breath.

Redstone ores were scattered around the den. Ranboo remembers they shine much brighter than other ores he’s mined, he’s not a rock expert but he assumes the reason why they shine so much is their energy source. It’s one of the main ores being used in many advanced communities, perhaps the shine is an indicator of how much energy just one ore has.

Redstone wasn’t the only thing sparkling in the dark cave, because right in the middle was a large pile of gems that could make a King seem poor in comparison. Ranboo swears they can see crystals they didn’t even know exist, and they mine as a hobby! They feel entitled to at least know a decent amount more than basic knowledge when it comes to ores.

Ranboo froze when he saw whose head lay on top of the gold pile. The Blood Dragon.

Staring right at him.

"It— it's not—" They stuttered, "It really isn't what it looks like." Ranboo fully emerged from the curtain of leaves, holding their hands up to emphasize their intentions.

The dragon growls, a rumble so loud that the Redstone's lights flicker with fear. Its large tail wraps around the mound of riches, assuming that the enderman was here to steal their possessions. Ranboo couldn't blame them, he was holding a suspiciously big brown sack that reminded him slightly of the material thieves used.

"I'm here to give you offerings—! Actually!" He quickly added, throwing the sack in between the both of them and gold spilled through its opening. The rumbling stopped and Ranboo released a breath of relief.

The Blood Dragon looked interested in his gold, to say the least, and Ranboo wasn't even sure if they could understand his words. There have been cases that stated most dragons have a consciousness and can understand simple phrases, and Ranboo was desperate for any sort of protection— so he'll keep trying until he was sure they could understand him.

Slowly, they picked up the sack of gold again and approached the dragon. The dragon's eyes squinted, skeptical of the enderman.

"I'm… I'm being hunted by monster hunters and I need your protection. Not forever! Just, just enough to… I don't know, scare them off to make them leave me alone?" Ranboo stopped right in front of the pile.

A gust of warm air washed over him, the dragon just huffed out a puff of smoke— almost looking tired and annoyed. It seemed less angry than it was when he first entered, so he'll take it as a good sign.

"… Okay. I'll take that as an… unsure response." Ranboo slowly placed his brown bag right next to the bundle of gems.

The dragon stared at him, then carefully inspected the bag with its snout. Seeing a dragon— not just a dragon, the BLOOD Dragon, up close is a surreal experience Ranboo did not know they would ever have. The tales spread across the SMP mentioned how the Blood Dragon would slaughter anything and anyone in its path, yet here it was now, pouring the bag's contents onto his pile, seemingly accepting the offer, but still wary of the enderman.

"It's not a lot of gold, I know— Compared to your treasures." Ranboo spoke, "But, I promise, I'll keep paying you until you accept to protect me from the hunters… Is- Do we have a deal?"

The dragon stared at him for a long period, and Ranboo starts to think he was insane for even trying to make a conversation with them. Then, the Blood Dragon slightly bows its head and closes its eyes, accepting the enderman's offer.

Ranboo lets out a sigh of relief.

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Ranboo arrives the next day with another big brown bag of gold, mixed with bits of diamonds and iron. While there was still a bit of anxiety when he entered the mouth of the cave again, it didn't take him nearly two hours to even consider going inside, which isn't a big victory, but a victory nonetheless.

The dragon was there when he set foot in the den. He huffed out another puff of smoke through his nostrils but remained lying down next to his riches. He didn't seem aggressive today, though still looked wary of his presence— Ranboo regarded that as another small victory. "Hello, um, dragon."

The Blood Dragon softly grumbled in response. He decided to think of that as the dragon greeting him back. “Maybe you won’t like being called just dragon. Do you have a name? You probably do but you can’t tell me. Should I call you something else?” He rambled, “Should I just call you Blood, Gold, or I don’t know, Michael?”

The dragon stared at him silently, and Ranboo felt like he was being judged for his name choices. “What? I think Michael is a good name!” He defended, “Though, I guess it doesn’t suit you…” The suggestions may suck, but in his defense, he’s never been good with names. As he offered another addition of gems to the dragon, he took that time to examine the treasures he has from afar. Ranboo noticed a sharp sword encrusted with the shiniest diamonds and even bits of Netherite. “Oh! What about Dagger, or Blade?”

They laughed at themselves, Prime, what were they doing? They were trying to make conversation with a dragon and trying to give him a name. He felt stupid and pathetic. “What am I even doing?” They silently asked.

The dragon moved to examine Ranboo’s offering, and the enderman plopped himself on the ground. “I’m talking to a dragon.” This was unbelievable, “I can’t find anyone willing to protect me, so- so I have to turn to a dangerous dragon because, because what? The hunters find me dangerous since I’m half enderman, half—” Ranboo cut themselves off, opting to sigh instead.

He can’t ramble on about something the dragon wouldn’t care about. Mob hybrids aren’t usually treated with the greatest respect. He’s met Charlie, a slime hybrid, they acted with childish wonder yet had random times where they showed an infinite amount of wisdom. They’ve been on trips together and he’s seen how many villagers disregarded his existence. It felt unfair, Charlie has been nothing but kind yet still treated like an unredeemable criminal.

Fortunately, Charlie found a safe place for shelter from the hunters. They were taken in by one of the richest people on the SMP, a gambler who owns multiple casinos and owns a big portion of land dedicated to stealing money from the unsuspecting in a ‘legal’ way, Quackity from Las Nevadas. Ranboo did have his doubts meeting him, but he noticed the strong bond between him and the slime hybrid, and who was he to interfere with that?

Ranboo thought he could find safety in a person just like Charlie had with Quackity. It doesn’t even need to have a strong bond, just someone to shield him from harm. He attempted to pay experienced fighters for that reason, but he’s been accused of stealing something that was rightfully earned by hours and hours of mining.

“Do you accept my offer, Blood Dragon?” The dragon made a low growling sound, not as scary and hostile as before but it did make Ranboo tense up. It reminded him of exactly what he was dealing with, he shouldn’t let his guard down no matter what whenever he gets near this giant dragon. The dragon letting him enter and giving him mercy by not outright killing him shouldn’t be a reason for him to relax.

Ranboo scrambled to his feet and patted off the dust on his pants,

“Okay… Next time then.”

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Ranboo didn’t visit the day after that, nor the following days after that either. They decided to spend their time mining in ravines and mineshafts. Who knew giving most of your gems to a dragon would almost empty your supply of ores? They didn’t mind it though, they loved spending their time mining around and always get satisfied with how many resources they got from hours and hours of emptying various caves.

It wasn’t all that dangerous either. Because he was half-enderman, Mobs recognized him as just another mob and left him alone, giving him a safe space. He was hidden away from the judgments of villagers, the spying eyes of hunters, and the awful stares of other beings. In here, Ranboo felt safe.

Safe, but isolated.

It’s what he wanted, but did the price of safety mean taking away his company? Any sort of interaction would be void if it meant living in the caves forever. Mobs aren’t very responsive to his attempts at socialization. It didn’t help that he was an enderman hybrid either, one of the mobs most known for not being able to handle interaction with species that aren’t other endermen and hate eye contact.

He wanted to visit the dragon today, but he hesitated on that decision. Hours of mining led to him upgrading his items at his base using those materials, which left him with nearly the same amount of materials he had before he started mining. Most of what he had was a bunch of emeralds he didn’t have much use for. Trading them with villagers was great, they’d trade some decent stuff but the quality slowly declined over the years. The last time he tried to trade, they tried offering ten pieces of paper for 8 emerald gems, which he didn’t need when he had an entire library of books and journals back at home. It meant most of the emeralds he has and the emeralds he’s mined collect dust in chests.

He debated if he should give emeralds to a dragon who clearly prefers gold, but wouldn’t it be better to have something other than nothing? Ranboo didn’t have the energy to keep mining either. Don’t get him wrong, he loves mining but he loves rest as well.

Ranboo held a large bag of emeralds, and he had that deja vu of wavering fear when he reached the dragon’s den again. What if he didn’t accept his offer? Everyone knows emeralds aren’t of much use other than trading, they can’t be used to make armor or tools. They’re pretty much useless!

Just like the times before, the dragon was there next to their heap of jewels. “Hello, Blade.” Ranboo greeted softly, and he knew he heard him when he did his signature puff of smoke as a hello. “D’you get lonely without me? I know, I’m pretty good company.” He joked and Blade thumped his tail on the ground.

Ranboo chuckled. “Ah- I think I should just be honest here. I don’t… have gold, I just have emeralds and I—”

The Blood Dragon then suddenly popped up from where they were laying and stared at Ranboo. In instinct, the enderman immediately looked away. Oh Prime, Oh Prime, Oh Prime. Coins and metal shuffled around, Blade was moving. Fear struck in Ranboo, especially since they have never seen the dragon stand up or move away from their treasure before.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He was walking closer and they closed their eyes, trying to touch into their teleporting skill and get out of there. Ranboo could feel the particles surrounding him, and he attempted to imagine the forest outside to teleport to. They weren’t great with teleporting, in fact, it mostly only works when he’s scared and oh, he’s so scared. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!” They screeched out ender apologies, only coming off to the dragon as warbles of sounds.

Blade pressed their snout against Ranboo’s chest, effectively trapping them between him and the wall of the cave. “Oh my Pr- please, please, don’t kill me!” Panicked clawed hands made an effort to push the dragon’s face away, to no avail. This is it, the exact scenario he was worried about. He should’ve just waited for more time and come back with the items the dragon had wanted, or maybe he shouldn’t have even come here at all. This deal was nothing but just the dragon milking out Ranboo’s resources until he was bone dry. Tears welled up in his eyes and they burned his eyesight. Wow, thanks for giving him every enderman trait except for great teleportation skills. Thanks a lot, Universe.

Ranboo didn’t know what he should feel in his last moments. Whether it was anger or sadness, he just wanted the dragon to get it all over with as swiftly as he could. He knew he was taller than the average human but the Blood Dragon was huge, so he could make quick work with him.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Blade made a sound, a small roar that sounded a lot like curiosity.. Or was it happiness?

Ranboo opened their eyes and felt their heart thump louder than they had before. The dragon was mere inches away from himself, though their attention was focused on the brown bag on the floor, or maybe what was inside it. They never noticed the dark pink scales scattered across his body before, and the scars of what were presumably sword scars were displayed at his neck. Not just on his neck, but scars displayed on his wings, tail, and even on his chest.

Blade sniffed at the bag and made soft sounds, gently poking the bag with his snout. Ranboo, still in a state of shock, tried to speak. “Oh. Oh- so you were- you like emeralds?” He questioned, and noted that the continuous thumping was just Blade’s tail excitedly hitting the floor.

Slowly, he picked up the bag full of emeralds again and watched as how Blade’s thin irises expanded, reminding him of a cat focusing on a red dot from a laser pointer. “Jeez, you-” Ranboo breathed deeply, unable to find the right words for their feelings. They approached the heap of treasures again, and Blade followed right behind them. Their massive shadow covered the entirety of the enderman and they made a delighted trill sound as the emeralds were added. “There. Happy?” Ranboo squeaked an ender curse as Blade pressed his snout against his body again, and the sound of thunder outside just made his nerves rise again.

Wait… Thunder?

He could barely hear it in this huge cave, but there were sounds of raindrops and the occasional thunder outside. That was strange, he could’ve sworn there weren’t any clouds in the sky when he had first entered- but to be completely fair, he wasn’t paying attention to the sky when he was contemplating about entering the cave earlier. He’s stuck. “Crap…” He mumbled.

Blade turned their head to the ceiling of the cave, aware of the thunderstorm happening outside. Ranboo walked up to the curtain of leaves to see just how bad the storm was, maybe they could set off back to their home. Sure, it may hurt but— “Wait, wait, wait, what are you doing?!” Blade’s tail wrapped around his waist and lifted him just a few inches off the ground and brought him closer.

Blade laid down and gently placed Ranboo by his neck. Was he asking him to stay here? “Thanks, but I got to get home, Blade.” He said, patting the dragon's neck. The dragon replied with a pleading rumble, eyes closed and cuddling their neck closer to him.

Ranboo smiled softly. He couldn’t say no.

[mwolf0epsilon]

The Umbaran Pathogen - Day 10: Branding

Summary: Two days after the 212th breaks away from the 501st, Waxer and Canivete come across a rather unusual specimen while out scouting the perimeter of their current basecamp.

Warning: N/A

Prev / Next

[In which the events on Umbara are worsened by an unknown pathogen taking hold of both the 501st and 212th. These series of drabbles will follow a non-linear timeline based on the AI-less Whumptober prompt list for 2023.]

THIS STORY IS ALSO ON AO3

---

"I'm just saying... It's not that he can't rock the mustache all on its own, but would it kill him to try to do something different with his hair once in a while?" Waxer carried on with the previous discussion he and Canivete had been having during mealtime.

And, as rude as it was to talk about a vod who wasn't even on planet, Cani couldn't help but to agree a little with what he was saying. Boil could really use a new look that didn't just consist of putting all his effort into facial hair.

Maybe some kind of decorative fade, or maybe even a mullet...

"Keep your eyes on the ground. This place is crawling with critters ready to snack on our bone marrow..." She responded instead, making sure to keep her own peepers glued to the forest floor as she walked.

For all that Umbara was a bit of a desolate hellhole, one couldn't deny that the plants and trees had a sort of ethereal look to them. The Zabrak Spikes's glowing red spines looked beautiful against the dark hues of the landscape. And (if not for the fact they were aggressive) the tendrils of Death's Embrace moved in strangely alluring manners that were almost hypnotizing. Almost.

That enchanting beauty was exactly why it was so easy to get caught unaware by the creatures that roamed up above on the canopies, or that chose to camouflage down below with the foliage.

The Vixus, for example, were masters at just that.

"I hear ye, and I see it too." Waxer reassured as he glanced forward to what had alarmed Cani in the first place. A Vixus tendrils, just barely visible among actual plant roots. Waiting for someone to be so careless as to tread on it. "Nasty beasts..."

Nasty indeed. Too many had already fallen into this particular trap for them to have any understanding or sympathy for this particular way of hunting. Even Pi, with his fascination for animals, wouldn't defend these beasts after he heard just how many vode had been devoured.

If Cani got to live long enough to tell him that is...

Shaking that particularly negative thought out of her head, the medic carefully sidestepped the seeking tendril and carried on moving. Waxer tailed calmly behind her, flashlight skimming over the beast's closed bulb-like maw. Then his footsteps stopped abruptly, causing her to pause as well.

"Waxer?" She turned around, noting the way he was observing the dormant Vixus. "Leave it be, we need to keep moving."

"I know..." Even with his helmet on, she could easily tell he was frowning. "I just... Does that look natural to you?"

He pointed, her eyes following his finger and noting the rather strange marking on the creature's outer shell. It looked like some kind of symbol had been stamped on it. Or rather, burnt on with a branding iron. For what purpose however, she did not know.

Neither did Waxer who was staring at it with clear confusion.

"Uh... Weird..." Cani mumbled as she went to grab her datapad off its belt loop. "There's lettering on it. Umbaran, obviously. I'll snap a holo and we can show it to the General. He's good with languages."

"Yeah, probably best we do that. It's never a good sign when you find a big predator with some kind of branded symbol on it..." If anything, it was downright suspicious. And they both knew it. "Last time that happened, dang thing was some kind of tracking beast..."

"I doubt these things are trainable, but it's better to be safe than sorry." Canivete conceded. She took the holo and then motioned for them to carry on. The sooner they finished scouting the perimeter, the faster they could ask General Kenobi about the odd specimen they'd just encountered.

[lunapwrites]

Monthly(ish) Reading - September

Okay so we're clearly a bit late here. There's been a lot going on this month, what with *everything.*

I'm trying something different this go round, because I've found that all my decks have a different "voice" and perspective, and things they tend to focus on. So I thought that since I'm at such a loss right now, I could benefit from a council of sorts lol. As such, I am pulling from all three of my main decks right now, and forgoing the runes and oracle cards since those are for providing flavor, and I already know what the flavor is for this month (terrible.)

So without further ado...

I swear I shuffled that first one.

The first thing that jumps out here is holy shit wands and cups. There's a lot of emotional shit going on, a lot of energy and volatility. However, the effect is largely muted: fire (wands) and water (cups) tend to cancel each other out. So where does this leave us?

ARCHEON: overall positive. This deck likes to focus on my personal relationships, and this is no different. I'm in a place of great change right now but I've generally been taking it all on the chin with as much grace and courage as can be expected. My relationships are a support at the moment and not a burden. If anything, I could stand to lean on my partner a little more. A solid foundation to work from.

CROW: Still a little new to this one and feeling out where its focus is but uh. Jesus fuck. I'm in a delicate balancing act rn. There is conflict brewing right now, which on its own wouldn't be too dire - generally a talk to out issue normally - but unfortunately the wheel keeps wheeling which is specifically a lot of cycle of life bullshit right now. Lots of life and death happening, sunrise sunset, yada yada. To me and around me, specifically. It's a lot. And my mental state ain't great right now. We are probably careening headfirst towards a breakdown of catastrophic proportions. Very cool.

LINESTRIDER: tends to be a little more external, so we're looking at what's around me. Page of Cups? That's Bean. That's always been Bean. We once again have conflict, echoing Crow that it's primarily going to be conflict with communication and ideas/beliefs, which tracks. Hanged Man is begging me to pump the breaks and take a deep breath: let these things sort themselves out instead of trying to control every little thing. (Did my partner write this?) I have great support around me, everything I could possibly need or want. But I can't see the forest for the trees right now and I'm ignoring all of those good things in my life because I'm focusing only on the bad. [Points at self in mirror] Stop that. Like, yes, shit has been bad recently. I've taken a lot of emotional hits. But Jesus Christ. Get out of your head. Breathe.

So to kind of triangulate the messaging here, nothing is actually as catastrophic as it appears rn, and I desperately need to shift my mindset and start faking it just to make it for a bit because if I can't pull myself out of the swamp of sadness here, imma make like Artax and fucking drown in it. And no one can do that for me unfortunately which really sucks because I'm just. Exhausted.

Anyway that aside this was a neat exercise, I feel like I just sat down for an intervention with myself lol. Let's do this again for the next crisis lol.

[william-solace-aaaaa]

Chapter 1: A Cursed Birthday

I woke up this morning thinking all was well, and it was just another ordinary day, for me, anyway. But no. I don't even get one birthday of peace. It's always something every year. I mean, last year, a bunch of rats ate the cake. The year before that, my hamster, Charle, the magnificent, committed suicide. And this year, my 15th birthday, I get sucked into a magical portal. Yay.

It was normal. Nothing happened the entire day, and to be honest, I was sceptic. But no. The one thing that couldn't have happened (due to its... well. Impossibleness) just had to happen. Thanks a lot, God. I swear I'm cursed or something.

It was around 8 pm by the time I finally let my guard down about my evil-birthday curse. I was walking my amazing dog, Ruby. She is this adorable black and white pitbull that puts any and all other dogs to shame. So naturally, I was showing her off... at 8pm, in winter. In my defence, I'm definitely not the smartest person I know. I mean, what lunatic would be out at 8 pm in winter, in the UK? Besides me, of course.

I was walking through the nearby park, like I usually do. But this time, something had caught my eye. The park was empty except for me and Ruby, but there was an object emitting some sort of light. The kind that if you were to look at it for more than a few seconds, then when you would finally look away, you would have little dots dancing around your vision. When I picked it up, which I kind of see was a bad idea, it was like holding fire. I dropped the glowing thing, and Ruby started to bark at it, the burning feeling still prickling my hand. Then, right where the object had dropped, some sort of vortex had started to open, sucking me in. The last thing I remembered after that was falling.

Thankfully, the forest that I fell into had some pretty tall trees that cushioned my fall (not really). I angelicaly landed (crashed) onto the ground.'Ow! Dang it, who put trees here?' I yelled because it really, really hurt. My body made this cracking sound, and my leg had bent in a super unnatural way. There was bone and a lot of blood. A lot. I blacked out (I don't really know why, though)

When I woke up, I was on a bed in a sort of cabin-like room. To my right there were 2 green sofas against the walls facing each other, with a little coffee table in the middle and a kitchen, in which I was in the middle of on a table, not a bed, which was probably why my back hurt like hell. There were two people in the kitchen, one baking some sort of bread and the other washing some dishes.

'Ow.' I winced as I tried sitting up. Pain shooted to my lower body. 'Oh! You're awake.' Both people had turned around and were now looking at me. 'Your leg was pretty badly hurt. How did you manage to do that?' The girl said, looking at me with disapproval. She had long, blonde hair that looked so straight she wouldn't have to brush it for days, and it would still have zero knots in. Her green eyes seemed to dance like a flame. She wore a lovely white dress dotted with purple flowers and all sorts of jewellery. Her ears pointed in a slightly unnatural way. 'What?' I questioned, still not entirely sure of what was happening.

'I found you out in the forest. You were unconscious and badly hurt, so I took you and brought you here. We had to do something about your leg, though. Sorry.' She said, which confused me until I looked down.

'AHH!' I screamed. 'Calm down, it's not that big of a deal.' The man, a strong, muscular dude with dark skin adorned with freckles that looked to be in about his forties. 'Not that big of a deal!? My leg is gone!' I yelled. 'Where did it go? I had my leg this morning.' 'Now you dont.' He replied with a proud looking smile.

'Now I- where is my leg!' I demanded. I mean, who just takes people's legs off without asking? 'I told you we should have asked, dad.' The girl said to the man. 'Exactly! Thank you!' I said. 'You guys can't just take my leg! 'Not my fault i dont know how to fix bones,' said the guy. I yelled, directing my words at the man. 'I'm Jericho, just call me Eric though, since you didn't even ask for my name before you chopped my leg off!' I said (cool name, I know). 'I'm Ariel, and this is my dad, Sebastian.' She said. 'Well, Ariel, lovely to meet you.' I said, shaking her hand.

'I can get you a new leg, Jericho; I have a bunch. No need to be a baby, now, is there?' He said with a massive grin on his face. Rude. Before I could say an awesome comeback, he started measuring my left leg (which was still there). After a while, he walked away to go get my new leg, letting me talk with Ariel. You could tell she was one of those really pretty girls who didn't try to be pretty. She helped me onto the couch because I tried to stand up, forgetting my recently chopped off body part.

'Soo... where is this because the last thing I remember is falling out of the sky.' I said, looking at her expectingly. 'This is Emaia. Also, what did you mean "falling out of the sky?"' She questioned, looking confused and tilting her head to the side. 'Well, I was just walking my dog, Ruby, and I kinda just fell, and there was this glowy thing and- My dog! Ruby!' I yelled, standing up from my position on the sofa, forgetting about my leg and immediately falling to the floor. 'Ow.'

I'd forgotten all about Ruby! Did she fall through with me? Is she safe? Is she hurt? Did some crazy wacko chop off one of her legs? A million things were going through my head, and I didn't even notice I had started hyperventilating until Ariel's dad, Sebastian, was he? had started to shake me lightly. I had managed to tuck myself into a weird looking ball against the couch because my right leg was, well, obviously not there. After a long, long time of uneven breaths and being told everything would be okay, I finally was able to slow my breathing. 'Sorry.' I said. I mean, I just wasted these nice (ish) people's time. 'It's alright, mate,' He said in the same soothing voice he had been using for the past 10ish minutes. This was incredibly inbarassing. Ariel had been trying to calm you down for a bit before I came back in here because I found you a leg that would match you hight. Your short.' He said, laughing to himself. I'm not that short, I'm 5'5! That's kind of tall.

He went and got me the leg, and after him showing me how to take it on and off, he let me look in a mirror. Well... I looked like I had just fallen out of the sky. My dark hair was more matted than usual with a few leaves sticking out, a few cuts that would easily heal on my head from falling through branches, my new leg which was made out of a amazing-looking black metal that looked super cool, and my clothes, including my favourite blue jumper, were covered in blood. While I was checking myself out, Ariel had explained what had happened before Seb had gotten there.

'Yeah, we are probably gonna have to find you some new clothes.' He said, patting me on the shoulder. "For now, you'll just have to borrow some of mine.' He said, Ariel going upstairs and grabbing me a pair of clothes that were 1000% too big. Man, he is bulky. The outfit looked like it came directly out of Pirates and the Carribian, but still, I looked at amazing as always.

The prosthetic was really weird getting used to, but after three days, I was good enough not to trip every five seconds. I didn't want to wait any longer because I didn't want Ruby to be out there any longer. In my time staying, it wasn't that hard to figure out that I was nowhere near home. These guys didn't even know what Sonic the Hedgehog was!

Me and Ariel left to go look in the forest around where she found me, and Seb had to stay because he runs a bakery! The man had a real sweet tooth, too (Who would've thought.) We left at 7, after having the best food I have ever eaten (except for the cake at my aunt Jessie's funeral. That was some good cake).

1510 words

Published 22nd February 2024

[bookofkatherine]

Touched by an Angel.... or a Celebrity?

Have you ever wondered what makes a star a star? Why they give out stars for the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, why talent scouts search for 'that star quality' or why one guy sells out stadiums while the other can't fill out a coffee house?

I used to wonder.

Not anymore.

I could tell you I learned the truth by studying the subject for ten years, but I'd be lying. Oh! I have studied the subject for ten years, but most of what I know is from first-hand interactions with the red-carpet world. Or, to be more specific, I'm involved with the powers-that-be in Hollywood- the ones who run the show, keep the glitz and make the glamour.

And it's not what you think.

But once you know, things start to make a lot of sense. The world isn't so confusing anymore. And you start to see the magic at work all around us - little things we take for granted. But would be miserable without them.

If it were up to the Devil, the Earth would be scorched- a poisonous sulphur landscape blackened and without life.

But it isn't. Earth has forests, flower beds, healthy crops and stunning mountain ranges with glorious sunsets. Oh, we humans have certainly harmed the Earth, hunting its most amazing wildlife into extinction, but we aren't the only ones running the show.

Oh no. We are not alone

_

The truth is, angels are among us. They can take any human form they'd like. Some are good. Some are bad. And here on Earth, the split between the two is 50/50.

You may have heard that a third of the Angels fell when Satan rebelled against the God of the Angel Armies. But what you haven't heard is this:

• A third of the Angels remain in heaven. They are the stars that watch us from above. All of them are faithful to the Lord. They are ruled by Enoch, a prophet-turned-angel wrote wrote the very first book of the original Bible: the Book of Enoch. In some texts he is known as Metatron after he becomes an angelic leader in the heavens.

• A third of the Angels are called the Fallen. Yes! That's right! Only 33% of all angels fell, meaning Satan's is in the minority. These Fallen Angels are down here on Earth, living among us and in the dark places, like the bottom of the ocean, dark caves, etc. Some will even possess humans. Either way, the Fallen Angels don't have much Authority. Their Authority died when they rebelled against the Throne. Instead they must get permission from the Lord to make any kind of move. And thus, to their abject horror and dismay, they end up carrying out the Lord's judgment against their own followers, and strengthening their enemies through attacks fashioned just so! So that the attack acts as training for the Lord's faithful.

• The final third of angels remain faithful to the Lord too, but they're bound to Earth as well, counteracting the evil angels banished to this soil. These obedient angels garden the Earth, keeping time, keeping the calendar, guiding the seasons and the elements, feeding the rivers, instructing hibernation, waking the trees and putting them to sleep in winter. You can categorize their ranks by the order of nature, from the wind to the sea to the rivers to the rain, each is ruled by an army of angels across the Earth.

_

Now here's the interesting part: angels can have babies with humans. And these are the bloodlines that form many of the Royals around the world as well as many celebrity families.

Thousands of years ago our celebrities would have been called gods in many cases. But the truth is much more simple: angels walk among us and they are glorious. And their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren walk among us too. And those boodlines shine.

They shine whether you see them walking in a mall or on the big screen or on the small screen. They stick out in a crowd. They glow and sparkle. People tend to gravitate towards them or look up to them. We use cosmetics to try and look like them. Have you seen what drugstore makeup looks like? It looks like stardust in all sorts of shapes and sizes, liquid to powder.

But those who don't need makeup sparkle anyway, don't they? They shine like a star for a reason. Stars are angels. And certain bloodlines have angelic DNA.

Me? I can't have children. But I am in love with many angels, most of whom I met through Hollywood.

And now we've left, living on a different coast. Hollywood has had to kill off most of my angel's plotlines as a result.

But we have a battle to fight.

The Last Battle.

For more daily updates, visit my Prophet's Journal feed on Twitter! @ prophetsjournal !

...

C'mon... you guys didn't really think Chris Hemsworth was human, did you!?

[midwinterwings]

It could be the depression and medication talking but pinning down what elements resonate with me are extremely difficult.

I have an odd relationship with fire. Sometimes I feel extremely connected to it, and feel like Wildfire, it's one of those things that are an expression of me being loki, like how I see my soul as a snake but its directly connected to deitykin.

Other times, like now, the idea of warmth and fire makes me want to throw up, it makes me feel absolutely disgusted. BTW its not due to temperature and heat, I've felt aligned with Wildfire in hot times too. And it's annoying because I've only just started a wardrobe that I feel myself with and it's made of warm greens primarily...to reflect forests and snakes mostly but now I associate it with Wildfire because the greens are warm greens and it pisses me off.

Right now I feel especially icy, mostly feeling cold biting winds on plains, hailstorms, and generally strong unpredictable cold wind in general.

This itself isn't a problem. The problem is that I'm repulsed by wildfire, something I swear I felt connected to a few days ago...

Been wanting to express myself through my appearence but how can I do that with roller coaster seesaw fuckery constantly happening, I bought 1 whole sweater for my wardrobe of like...1 pair of black jeans and 2 black long sleeved shirts and few sad black socks and its warm green and now I feel so disgusted with even the idea of wearing something warm.

There's a possibility it's just the depression and the medication talking because I've found that the more depressed and stuck I feel the more I gravitate towards ice and hate fire, as in a visceral skin-crawling disgusted way of hating anything warm toned. It's kind of just...a Thing I do. And the better I get the more I feel like wildfire again (wildfire that likes cold wind.) So I just need to stop overthinking that I've got things wrong again.

I remember there was a time I sort of 'finally let myself register the fact I'm not human'. I've probably known I was a loki deitykin since I was quite young but purposefully buried it and refused to read norse mythology or just interact with Scandinavian culture or language anymore because I didn't like the feelings. Back then I was wildfire, and. When I acknowledged it I felt like hail, not fire. That made me wonder if I wasn't actually Loki (Ik Loki isn't a fire god I just always associated the feeling of being wildfire for me with being Loki it's like how I'm sort of a snake therian because of being deitykin) and it's why I have hagalaz shaped scar on my arm right now...

So I need to remind myself not to take this too seriously and stop overthinking it. I know feeling icy is just because I'm quite lethargic and depressed at the moment and hungry (barely ate yesterday because I was sleeping so I think the hunger is making me feel depressed. Ate more today and sitting around waiting). It's not trivial for me. My inner world saps of colour and everything goes white. The forests, trees and silver lake that mostly inhabits my inner world all turn white and I can't change it without feeling completely weirded. My own form saps and drains into white and I can only conjure white fire that dosent burn and I can't make fire anymore. Ice kind of leaks through my fingers and the unicorn buddy who stalks me constantly is more visible and comes closer. And I feel like a unicorn because I'm just so white and drained of energy and icy. Don't get me started on the unicorn mf...I'm worrying about that later.

Yeah I'm...I think its just a side effect of a temporary blip in energy to be honest not anything deep. Things should be better after I feel better.

[dcwnthercbbithcle]

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS. 3 , 12 , 15 & 38 // for sally !

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS. || ACCEPTING

3. How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

HMMMM, I would say Sally is forthright with her emotions and opinions a good 70-75% of the time! Sally is just an honest woman at the best of times, for better and worse.

When she is unhappy, you will know she is unhappy, not through cutting words or misplaced anger, but through her face. It was a big reason why she gained such a fearsome reputation in life as an uptight and joyless woman, though this couldn't be further from the truth. As just as often as a person will find her face with a furrowed brow of pain and irritation, they could find her with a small smile and rosy cheeks.

Sally, is, god, I'm not sure how to explain this. But in my mind, Sally's relationship between her emotions and how she lets her feelings show are much like the great lakes.

On sunny days, when the wind is barely above a breath, wavelets can only lap at each other, the waters will seem crystal clear. Radiant under the sun, they're this inviting sort of sapphire blue, the kind you'd typically only see on a postcard, and clear as glass, all the way down to the bottom. You will see the fish as they come and go, the sun as it reflects down onto the silty soil beneath, the forests of algae, down to the massive remains of trees, up to hundreds of feet long, resting where they fell and the shipwrecks. Many, many shipwrecks.

Usually, such a thing would shock and awe a person with dread, but, staring down at them and considering the human toll, but from the comfort of your own vessel? Through the inviting blue waters? The edge of horror is dulled with a morbid sense of beauty and a measure of wonder at the strength of nature. At that moment, the stories of the ships and their crews are forgotten. They seem almost like toys, a tool to demonstrate the unforgiving wrath of nature. And in a way, no one could really blame you. From where you are sitting, the wrecks seem so small and distant. You are hundreds and hundreds of feet above them, carried on the tumultuous, ravenous currents that brought the mighty steel beasts down to heel. You can't understand the whole picture, but it's not your fault. The waters are deceptive. They hide the forest among the trees. The danger beneath the beauty, grace, and charm of its clarity and strength.

That is how I see Sally and how she shows her emotions and by extension, her mind. She isn't just the shipwrecks but the entire lake on her best days. She will carry herself with a sense of unwavering stoicism and strength like the crystal blue waters inviting you, and when you are faced with the shipwrecks and ruins of trees lying at her core. You can't find yourself shaken or concerned. Her strength won't give you any moment for misplaced pity. Traumatic events, horrific loss, and abuse. She'll speak of them with candour and few emotions, a stiff upper lip to hide the intense currents swelling beneath her. Her traumas, and by extension, her moods, will seem almost minimized, by the sheer grace with which she holds herself.

But make no mistake, though her problems, as she filters them to you, may seem small, or even manageable, like toys, easily brushed aside that couldn't even cause a pause in Sally's stride. These great ruins and marks of the pain and horror she has endured are not to be scoffed at. They are just far, far away. Too far for you to realize their immensity and that they are far, far more than a mere blip on Sally's radar.

Additionally, though my metaphor was mainly to illustrate trauma and her openness regarding her pain being both a blessing and a curse for all involved. It goes without saying that in addition to this, she has normalized this practice of biting back & not truly expressing the depth of her emotions beyond what could be a palatable glance for an outsider.

You may know she is emotionally hurting, but not in agonizing pain. You may see that she is amused, but not delighted. Scared but not PETRIFIED FOR HER LIFE. And so on, which may seem dishonest by sheer omission and I can understand that perception! It’s reasonable in all fairness, but from how normalized the practice of minimizing and pushing back her true feelings and their impact has become to her, it’s something she doesn’t even realize she does anymore.

Which ignites a rage like no other when she feels like she is SCREAMING for help and in a crisis but no one will stop to help her

12. What's something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

God I really can’t think of anything honestly, I hate to be a bit harsh on my girl but she is a fairly serious woman and she doesn’t laugh easily. Most jokes bead off her like water down a duck’s back and the rest, well, they fail to impress in crudeness and delivery. I will say though: the random, nonsensical and unpredictable things that kids come up with never fail to make her crack a grin and chuckle with them, not at them!

15. What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

The most significant difference between when Sally is alone and in the comfort of her home vs. when she is in public, would have to be that Sally is noticeably less... wired, or so to speak. Powered down, in a kind of mental sleep mode! She doesn't feel the need to keep herself on her toes in hyper-vigilance, her guard can lessen and her brain doesn't have to be on a constant 'flicking through all of the tasks on her list and people she needs to remain on top of.' She can afford to slow down and let her brain numb for a while before she gotta get back into that headspace!

38. What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

OOOOO, I would say cooking is the number one for her, next to dance! Not because she sucks at either cooking or dance, but rather because the distraction of having other people around her and the pressure of not damaging her social perception leads to her attention being shifted and her making careless mistakes or missing steps!