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Art Baltazar, James Kochalka + Kaeti Vandorn will bring Dr. Seuss characters to comics

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Your Turn to Roll--A Project Fear Fanfiction: Chapter 1-Character Creation

Chapter 2/2

One of your interests is a game called Dungeons and Dragons (DND), a table-top roleplaying game filled with daring fights, monstrous creatures, and numerous bonds you enrich through each session the story follows. With live play shows like Critical Role as well as media portrayal like in Stranger Things, DND has gained many new players in recent years. It is a topic you have brought up a ton to your friends Alex, Chelsea, Dakota, and Tanner as you wanted to tell them about the shenanigans that ensued during one of your sessions. 

On this particular day, you were going down a YouTube rabbit hole when a notification from your group chat came through. After pausing the video, you open your messages to see what was sent. 

“I finally looked more into Dungeons and Dragons since you’ve mentioned it a lot, and I got to say, I’m interested in trying it out,” Chelsea had sent. 

“Same,” the boys responded in quick succession of one another. 

“I’m so glad you’re interested in it! I can try to take a crack at running a game to help ease you guys into it all,” you quickly respond with a huge grin on your face. 

“You’ll surely do well with it,” Dakota encourages you. 

“Yeah, if anyone could do it, it would definitely be you,” Alex says. 

“Thanks guys. We will need to start off with character creation before going right into fighting things and other story elements. What day works the best for y’all?” you asked, already super pumped that your friends want to understand your interests just a bit more. 

“This Thursday I’m pretty free,” Tanner answers. 

“Same here,” Chelsea replies. 

“It would have to be after 6pm for me. Editing takes a lot of time,” Dakota specifies. 

“Thursday works for me,” Alex states. 

“Let’s try for 7pm on Thursday at my place then. Sound good?” you text back. 

“Sounds like a plan” they all respond. 

Thursday at 7pm came quickly and soon you were all around your table. You placed a character sheet in front of them as well as a pencil to start the process off. Once everything is set up, the group looks to you for further instructions. 

“Okay. I’m going to start by asking questions that will help you figure out what class your character will be. Think of a class almost as being what your job entails. Now, would you like to be able to use magic or not?” you explain before asking. 

“Magic would be cool,” Tanner says with a sparkle in his eye. 

“Yeah, it has always intrigued me in fiction,” Chelsea enthusiastically responds. 

“I definitely want to try using magic,” Dakota replies. 

“It’s interesting, but will it be complicated?” Alex asks. 

“I will admit, magic can be a hard part to understand in DND. We are starting at level one, so we can slowly understand it more and more as we go. I know someone who started playing DND with a spellcasting class and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also know someone who started off with a magic-using class and wished they hadn’t. I do not want to deter you from anything that interests you and will always help with any questions you have,” you clearly state. 

Alex nods before responding with, “I think I want to start off without magic then.” 

You smile before turning to the others to ask, “Do you still want to play spellcasters after hearing that it can be difficult? As I mentioned, I want you to play what interests you.” 

The three nod their heads before Chelsea replies with “I always like a challenge.” 

“Great! Since we already have one diverging from everyone else, are you guys alright with me helping Alex first and then come back to you guys for clarifying questions?” you inquire. 

You get nods from Alex, Dakota, and Chelsea, as well as a “Go for it,” from Tanner. 

Turning towards Alex, you question, “How would you describe the type of fighting you would want to do? Would you describe it like the Hulk? Using martial arts? Sneaky? Having archery or a long-distance focus? A variety of weapons and armor?” 

Alex ponders for a moment before replying with “I like the idea of a sneaky character.” 

“It seems like with that response that you would enjoy playing a rogue. I will pull up the rogue information from 5e.tools and you can start putting in that info onto your character sheet like proficiencies and features associated with level one. Abbreviate where you need to as this sheet is what you will use even as you level up. Wherever you have a choice to make, go for what interests you. Some parts like hit points and modifiers I will go over once everyone has figured out their race and class. Some of the choices you can hover over, and it will explain a bit more,” you expound while handing your laptop over to Alex. 

He quickly takes your computer, puts it down in front of him, and begins to write. You then pick up the spell list sheets and hand them to the other three, stating, “We will look at the sheet I am passing around later after figuring out more of your character, but I would rather hand them to you now to make sure you have it.” 

Dakota, Chelsea, and Tanner all put the spell sheet to the side and then focus back on you. 

“While I was working with Alex, did any of you think about where you’ve obtained your magic or how you would use it? It wasn’t a requirement for you guys to have done so, I will provide examples like I did for Alex when it came to fighting styles, but I thought I would ask,” you question. 

Tanner and Dakota shake their heads “no” before Chelsea speaks up, “There is a class that learns magic through school and books, right? I think I remember reading something about that and it intrigued me.” 

“Yes, wizards carry around a spell book of all the magic they have learned through the years and can even add to the book. Was that what you were thinking?” you respond. 

Chelsea nods her head, a glimmer of fascination in her eye. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but how should I denote expertise versus proficiency on something?” Alex asks. 

“I often use a check mark for expertise and just filling in the bubble for proficiency. You can do whatever helps you differentiate the two though and even make a note of what each thing means if that helps,” you mention. 

Alex nods yet again before quickly putting down the last of the rogue class information. Once he is done, he hands you back your laptop.  

You quickly click to the wizard information on the same site before handing the laptop over to Chelsea, saying, “I’ve pulled up the wizard information for you. You can start putting it onto your character sheet like proficiencies and features associated with level one.  As I mentioned before to Alex, wherever you have a choice to make, go for what interests you. Some of the choices you can hover over, and it will explain a bit more. We’ll go over hit points and modifiers later. Abbreviate wherever you see fit.” 

Chelsea immediately grabs your laptop and starts getting to work, allowing you to draw your attention to Dakota and Tanner. 

“Okay, spellcasters vary greatly. Some are born with it while some must specifically and continuously learn it, the latter being the wizard class that Chelsea chose. Some magic comes through nature while some comes through the arts like music. Some…” you start listing. 

“Wait. Magic can be connected to music?” Tanner interrupts. 

“Yes! A person from that class is called a bard and it is a very fun class to play, from my personal experience. Does that interest you?” you ask with a grin on your face. 

Tanner nods before continuing, “I like the idea a lot, but are they solely a spellcaster?” 

“All classes have a physical weapon of some sort, but people can create characters who almost always go for the spells rather than the weapon. For bard, there are a couple of subclasses down the line that focus more on combat with weapons rather than with spells if that is what you wish to do. You would still get magic no matter what route you go with when it comes to the bard class,” you state. 

“That’s something I would want to do,” Tanner tells you. 

You give him a thumbs up before turning to Chelsea to see her progress. She was just finishing the last part of her sentence before she clicks on something on the laptop and turns toward you with the computer in her hands, the bard page on 5e.tools already up. 

“Thought I could help set you up for the handoff,” Chelsea discloses. 

“Thank you,” you respond before handing the laptop off to Tanner, “You can start putting in the bard information onto your character sheet like proficiencies and features associated with level one. As I mentioned before, wherever you have a choice to make, go for what interests you. Some of the choices you can hover over, and it will explain a bit more. We’ll go over hit points and modifiers once everyone has a class and race. Abbreviate as you go since we’ll be using this sheet as you guys level up.” 

Promptly, Tanner takes the computer and begins jotting down the bard information. Dakota was the last one to figure out what class he should play. You bring your attention to him, ready to help him out. 

“Did any of the spellcaster descriptions I’ve given so far seem interesting to you or should I keep going? There are other spellcasting classes I haven’t described yet, so don’t fret if what you’ve heard so far isn’t interesting you,” you inquire. 

Dakota shakes his head “no,” so you continue, “What are your thoughts on having your magic being connected to a being?” 

“What do you mean?” Dakota asks with an inquisitive look. 

“Well, some classes are connected to gods and use their divine power to help. Some have made a deal with an entity which granted them their magic,” you reply. 

“Making a deal with an entity sounds…evil yet intriguing,” Dakota remarks. 

“Well, dealings with entities are not always evil. Yes, some deals are made just to gain more power, but some make deals to help themselves out of bad situations or to help those around them,” you clarify. 

“So, a deal could be made to prove oneself as capable of something?” Dakota questions. 

“Yes,” you simply state, “I’m assuming you’re asking these questions because that is the route that intrigues you the most. Is that correct?” 

Dakota nods. 

“The class that makes a deal with an entity to receive magic is called a warlock. It is one of two classes that picks its subclass at level one. So, what kind of being do you want to make a pact with? I can give examples, if need be,” you ask. 

Dakota ponders a bit before responding, “Maybe I’m essentially making myself, but are their entities that revolve around life and death?” 

“There are, and there is nothing wrong with essentially making yourself. I made the ideal version of myself in my first campaign, and most of my characters usually have a little bit of me in them too. For the patron, there are two subclass choices: The Undying and The Undead. The two are similar, with some small differences. I can pull up both of their information for you to compare and decide from there if you like,” you suggest. 

Dakota nods. As you are about to turn to see Tanner’s progress, your laptop is in front of your face. 

“I just finished and heard it was about time for the handoff,” Tanner says with a smile on his face. 

“Thank you,” you tell him, returning the grin. 

You quickly pull up the warlock information, including the two subclasses, before handing the computer off to Dakota for his turn to jot down his class information on his character sheet, making note to abbreviate words as he goes so he can continue to have room on his character sheet as the adventure continues. 

“Sorry for the wait in between everything, I am just trying to get everyone on the same page,” you apologize to the others. 

“We get it, don’t worry about us,” Chelsea states. 

“This is a learning process for us, so it’s understandable that we’re taking even character creation slowly,” Alex joins in. 

You nod your head in acknowledgment at your friends’ responses before continuing, “That’s great to hear. Thinking back to what Dakota noticed about his choices, do you think you are creating a fantasy version of yourself or some completely different person?” 

The three waiting for the next step start thinking before looking at one another and laughing a bit. 

“I think I’m unintentionally creating myself too,” Tanner states. 

“Same,” Alex and Chelsea reply in unison. 

“As I said, there is nothing wrong with that. This could help with your character backstories if you want,” you mention. 

Dakota looks up from writing at that moment, stating, “I think I’ll go with The Undying as my patron. Also, I like the idea of these characters being us. Maybe we’re Project Fear in this world too!” before continuing to write. 

Chelsea, Tanner, and Alex nod their head in agreement before stating almost simultaneously, “I like that idea.” 

“Having your characters already know each other helps with why you all would come together for the adventure. Seeing as you guys like the idea of being Project Fear in the game, a shared background may help support that. We can discuss this more after y’all figure out your races as well,” you mention. 

That is the moment when Dakota finished writing and handed you back your computer. Taking it from his hands, you look at your friends to see anticipation and wonder in their expressions as they await what is next.  

You place your laptop on the table in front of you before saying, “Alright. One part, done. Next is race. I want to make it clear that because you’ve mentioned that you’re making yourselves that you don’t automatically have to make your character human. Again, do what interests you. There are a lot more options for races compared to the class you play, so this may take a little bit. Do any of you have an idea of a fantasy race you would want to play? If it has been in a fictional fantasy world before, then it is highly likely that you can play it.” 

“I want to play a vampire!” Dakota exclaims. 

“While vampires can be in a game of DND, they are not a playable race,” you mention, noticing a frown on Dakota’s face, “but, there is a race that is part vampire called a dhampir which is playable. Let me pull up that information for you.” 

Dakota smiles hearing that he could play something close to what he wanted rather than the idea being scraped completely. You pull up the dhampir information on 5e.tools before giving the laptop back to Dakota. 

“You could have kept the laptop had we known you would be the first to figure out the race you wanted to play, but hindsight is 20-20. For ability score improvements, leave the additions next to your ability spaces as they will be accounted for once you figure stats out. Dhampirs are more customizable with where these score improvements go, so I would suggest looking at your saving throw proficiencies as a guide on where they could go. For reference, a size medium creature would be around our size while a small creature is almost child size,” you clarify a bit. 

Dakota yet again takes the laptop before jotting down the information onto his character sheet.  

Again, you turn back to the rest of the group before proceeding, “What about you guys? Any fantasy races that have interested you in the past?” 

“An elf would be interesting,” Chelsea states. 

“I was thinking the same thing,” Alex responds soon after. 

“Lucky for you, elf is a playable race. We will need to narrow down which type of elf you would like to play as there are a few subraces of them. Some of the subraces may go along well with your class choice. Is that a route you would want to go?” you question Alex and Chelsea. 

The two look at each other with agog expressions before turning their gazes back at you. 

“I…I didn’t expect there to be options when it came to elves, so I’m down to hear your suggestions,” Alex replies. 

Chelsea nods her head at what Alex told you, agreeing with what he had to say. 

“Okay, do you have a preference as to who I suggest a subrace to first?” you ask. 

“I think Chelsea should go before me as I went first when it came to picking my class,” Alex suggests. 

“Sounds good to me,” Chelsea agrees. 

“Alright. Chelsea, I would suggest going with a high elf. They are often noted as having a keen mind as well as knowing a decent bit about magic. To me, that seems like a decent fit for a wizard,” you propose. 

“I like the sounds of this,” Chelsea responds while nodding. 

Seeing the lull in the conversation, Dakota pipes up from his writing, “I noticed for dhampirs that they could originally be of a different race. I was reading more into some of the races and Kalashtar seemed interesting. Since that race doesn’t provide other proficiencies or other movement speeds, could I choose the Quori language to know?” 

“By all means go for it,” you answer. 

Dakota quickly finishes up his writing before handing the laptop back to you. Before handing the laptop to Chelsea, you click on the high elf information.  

“Elves do live a lot longer than humans, so if you want to go down the route of these characters being you, then add maybe 100 years onto your actual age. As mentioned with Dakota, for ability score improvements, leave the additions next to your ability spaces as they will be accounted for once you figure stats out,” you place the laptop in front of her before pointing to the references tab, “Here you’ll be able to find the languages tab and can look at the other possibilities available to your character that is offered for high elves.” 

Chelsea starts to jot down the high elf information, leading you to bring your attention to Alex. 

“For you, I was thinking the mark of shadow elf. They gain some bonuses for sneaking. With these bonuses, you will get a very tiny bit of magic: a cantrip and a once per long rest use of a spell when you hit level three. Is that alright?” you inquire. 

“What would the spell and cantrip be?” Alex asks. 

“The cantrip is called minor illusion. You could create a sound or an image with it, which could come in handy if you need some form of distraction for sneaking around. The spell you would learn at level three would be invisibility, which I think is self-explanatory. Had you chosen a spellcasting class, you’d have access to more spells and such,” you explain. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but what is the difference between a cantrip and a spell?” Tanner asks. 

“You don’t have to apologize for that; it’s an excellent question. Cantrips don’t need any preparation and can be cast at will. Spells, on the other hand, need some preparation such as a certain amount of time or materials needed for it to work. Spells can be cast at a limited amount per short or long rest, depending on the class you chose, while cantrips have no limits on the number of times you can use it,” you clarify. 

“I like the idea of having a tiny bit of magic since it did interest me. It won’t be as overwhelming as a class that has many spells and cantrips I feel,” Alex acknowledges with a smile. 

“Glad to hear it,” you reply. 

At that moment, Chelsea finished what she was writing. Before handing the laptop back to you, she clicked on what you were assuming to be the mark of shadow elf page, much like she clicked on the bard page after writing down the wizard information on her character sheet. With the laptop now in your hand, you can see that your assumption was right. 

“Thanks for setting it up again,” you thank her with a nod before handing it over to Alex. 

“Don’t mention it,” she replies with a smile. 

With the resources in front of him, Alex begins jotting down the mark of shadow elf information onto his character sheet. 

“Just a reminder that elves do live a lot longer than humans, so if you want to go down the route of these characters being you, then add maybe 100 years onto your actual age. As mentioned before, for ability score improvements, leave the additions next to your ability spaces as they will be accounted for once you figure stats out,” you remind Alex, who nods at your comment while continuing to write. 

The last to figure out their character’s race is Tanner, so you quickly turn towards him.  

“When looking more into DND, I ended up going down a rabbit hole of playable races. It seemed so intriguing that there is such a variety. Now, I don’t remember all of them, but I do remember that some can fly, and that intrigued me the most,” he mentions before you could ask any clarifying questions. 

It seemed that everyone was a bit shocked by Tanner’s admission, but you could not be happier knowing that your friends were well and truly trying to understand a game you love so much. 

With a smile glued to your face, you proceed with “That’s great to hear that you found some interest when trying to understand DND a bit more. You are right, there are a few races that can fly. I will need to ask a few clarifying questions to narrow it down a little more. First question: would you rather be a small creature or a medium creature? As I mentioned with Dakota, a small creature is roughly the size of a child while medium is around our size.” 

Tanner ponders for a moment before responding, “I rather like my own height, so medium creature.” 

“Okay. Now, would you want to look like an animal? Some of the flying races look like birds,” you question. 

Again, Tanner takes some time to think before saying, “I don’t think so. If I’m going down the route of playing a version of myself, I’d rather look more like me.” 

You nod your head, narrowing down the options quickly, before asking, “Alright, how far away from looking like yourself are you willing to go? There are 2 possible options left, each diverging at least a little bit from the standard human appearance.” 

“I think sticking as close to looking like myself as possible would mean no extra appendages like a tail,” Tanner replies after taking a moment. 

“Well, we narrowed it down to the protector aasimar then. They have partial lineage to celestial beings like gods and angels. I think it is fitting that we ended up here as aasimars have healing capabilities outside of the class they choose and you’re always one to help your friends like when you were booking it to Chelsea at Randolph County Infirmary. Protector aasimar cannot fly all the time though, I hope that that is okay,” you explain. 

“Is it like how Alex will get a once per rest spell at a certain level due to being a mark of shadow elf?” Tanner asks. 

“Yes, exactly like that. Having your wings out will give extra damage on an attack or spell, so they limit the use of it,” you answer. 

 Noticing that Alex has long since finished jotting down his character’s racial information, you grab the laptop back and bring up the protector aasimar information. The hand off of the computer and a reminder to leave racial ability score improvements next to their subsequent boxes happen shortly after, leaving a moment of respite. You look around the table at your friends, joy overflowing from you. Your friends are inching closer and closer to playing DND with you with every choice they make, and you could not be happier that they were all willing to try it out. 

“How much more do we have left?” Dakota asks, grabbing your attention. 

“Once Tanner is finished writing down his character’s race, what is left would be your character’s background, your ability scores/proficiencies, and spells for our spellcasters. You’ve mostly figured out your backstories as you’ve already mentioned wanting to be Project Fear in this world too. I know it seems like a lot, but there was the thought of you all having the same background so we would not need to go one-by-one,” you expound. 

Everyone nods their head at what you said and soon enough, Tanner is finished with his character information. The laptop is soon returned to you and your friends wait with bated breaths to hear what you have to say next. 

“Next up is background. This is what your character was before adventuring and can tie into the adventure as well. Since you guys were thinking of being Project Fear, could I suggest one that might fit all of you?” you inquire. 

You get a nod from the four of them before continuing, “One background is called the entertainer. I think it may be self-explanatory on what that would be like. Do you think this would be the right background for all of you?” 

The crew look at one another before they all respond with a resounding “Yes!” 

You chuckle a little bit before asking, “Since there is only one computer, would you rather all look at the information together on the laptop, have me read it out, or if you want to search for it on your phones, you are more than happy to. I know we didn’t start out with the other decisions with everyone’s electronics out, but I didn’t want you guys being too overwhelmed with the many options.” 

“I’m fine with using my phone for this,” Dakota states. 

“Same here. Plus, don’t worry about only now having us use our electronics, we get it after hearing all the questions you asked to help narrow everything down,” Alex responds. 

“Exactly! I’ll use my phone as well,” Tanner replies. 

With a quick look at her phone, Chelsea responds, “My phone is almost dead. Can I use the laptop?” 

“Go right ahead,” you say while handing the computer to her before continuing, “For those using your phones, the site is 5e.tools. From there, click on the icon with the word ‘backgrounds’ on it. Then, you will scroll through the options until you find ‘entertainer’ which then you will click on and write down the information. One of your tool proficiencies as an entertainer is a musical instrument, but I am fine with you guys having it be some form of paranormal equipment that you use on the show if you so wish. Also, your equipment section will mention that you have a favor of an admirer. This can be as simple as the Project Fear bracelet or your cross necklace. It does not need to be like one of the examples listed.” 

As soon as you are finished explaining everything, the quartet starts writing down all the necessary information. This gives you a moment to think about the campaign. You know you need to have the paranormal somehow involved, especially with how they still want to stick to being Project Fear. Maybe make it so for some reason ghosts aren’t appearing anymore? Nah, that would limit their abilities and seem unfair. A necromancer controlling all the ghosts? That feels like a campaign many people have probably done before. 

Your thoughts were cut short when the dull thump of four pencils hit the table as you felt all eyes back on you. 

“Okay, next up is figuring out our attributes, which directly ties into our proficiencies, hit points, armor class, and initiative. We will be using a system called twenty-seven-point buy. Each of the six attributes starts at an eight. You have twenty-seven points to add to your attributes. The maximum any of these attributes can be before adding in racial bonuses is fifteen. Remember what your proficient saving throws are to gauge where a score should be its highest and where you may not need to add much to. Constitution affects your hit points, so I would suggest at least adding a couple points there. There will be more to explain afterwards. You can use your phones, the laptop, or if you have scrap paper like the back of the spell sheet to calculate everything before putting in the information.” 

With that, the crew start to figure out their stats. Part way through, Dakota looks up at you and asks, “There are two spaces per area for the attributes. Why is that?” 

“That’s an excellent question. One spot is for your attribute score while the other is for its modifier. There is no right way to put either number in, though I have heard many people put the modifier in the box and the score into the oval. The modifier is used for proficiencies and skills and is derived from the attribute score,” you describe. 

“So how do we figure out the modifier?” Chelsea inquires. 

“To get your modifier, you subtract ten from your attribute score, divide that number by two, and round it down. The modifier is what the skills associated with an attribute will be, as well as the saving throw. If you are proficient with something, you add your proficiency bonus to the modifier. At level one, the proficiency bonus is a plus two. For expertise, the proficiency bonus is doubled and then added to the modifier,” you clarify. 

The crew nod their heads while continuing to calculate and write down their modifiers, allowing you to think more about the campaign yet again. You have an idea on a non-player character (NPC) to add to the campaign who may give them their over-arching mission. The idea of a banished bard trying to free himself from wrongful exile and persecution after previously being considered a hero seems like an interesting jump off. Possibly an overarching theme of not everything is as it seems or even don’t judge a book by its cover seems like a good work around. But where to start the party off with trying to help said bard? 

Again, the clicking of pencils hitting the table is what draws you back from your imagination. You look at the crew and say, “Alright. Next few steps will be easier. Look at the spot labelled ‘initiative.’ This will be added into your roll when figuring out the turn order of a combat. You will add your dexterity modifier in this space.” 

With quick nods, the crew jot down the number and allow you to continue, “That same modifier will help you figure out your armor class, which is the number an enemy needs to meet or beat to do damage. Leather armor is eleven plus your Dex modifier while no armor is ten plus the modifier.” 

The crew make rapid calculations, write down the number, and await further instructions from you.  

“We’re close to being done with character creation. This step will be the last one for Alex to hear instructions from. One of the most important numbers to know from your character sheet is your maximum hit points. Much like a video game, this number determines your health status in and out of combat. Hitting zero means you are unconscious, meaning you will be rolling death saving throw to see if your character does die or gets stabilized. 3 failed saves, meaning rolling nine or lower, equal death. Your party can still heal you in your unconscious state, bringing you back up into the fight. To determine your level one HP, look at what your hit die is. The highest number will be used plus your constitution modifier. For other levels, you will roll the hit die and add your con modifier to determine hit points with the average number being the minimum for this campaign,” you explain. 

In the blink of an eye, the crew notes their hit points. Alex places his pencil down and reclines back in his chair, finally done with his sheet. 

You chuckle a bit before looking to Dakota, Chelsea, and Tanner and stating, “The last step that I will explain is spell sheets. You each have a certain number of cantrips and spells that you know per level. It varies per class. I’m not sure if you had noted down these numbers exactly, so you can go back to 5e.tools to look it over again should you need it. As mentioned earlier when Tanner asked about it, cantrips have no limit on how often you can use it. With that in mind, have at least one offensive cantrip in case you run out of spell slots. Luckily, 5e.tools does allow you to look at all the spells available to your class as well. You don’t need to write down the exacts, just note their name on the sheet and you can refer to the information online. I still require looking up how spells work, even after playing for years, so don’t think poorly on yourself for not knowing everything.”  

You notice the trio quickly get to work on the devices they were using before jotting down numbers of spell slots and names of cantrips and spells their character would know. You turn your attention towards Alex and copy his relaxed position. 

“Seem interesting so far? I know this has been a lot of information to take in,” you ask. 

“It was a lot, but it seems like it will be fun. You can never go wrong with fantasy I feel,” Alex replies. 

“Well, that’s good at least. Once we get into actual gameplay, the fun will pick up. Interacting with a character and daring fights can get your blood pumping. Some people go to the extent of giving their character a voice other than their own and start physically embodying their character like hunching over. Now, none of this is expected out of anyone, and since you guys are playing yourselves, it wouldn’t make sense to give your character a different voice. If you continue to play DND after this campaign and think that would add more fun into your gameplay, then go for it,” you expound. 

“We’ll have to see. From all the stories you’ve mentioned, I think I’ll enjoy it, but I do not know how far I’ll go to get into a character,” Alex responds. 

The two of you sit in silence for a couple of moments more before Dakota, Chelsea, and Tanner finish writing their spells down.  

Once all the writing is done, you speak up again, “That will be the last thing I will make you do with me today. We mentioned having connecting backstories as you all are continuing to be Project Fear in this game, so during some of your free time you can collaborate and write those details down. You can keep simple bullet points, write a paragraph, or some people go to the extent of writing many pages of backstory. As level one, I will say that backstory would be a bit limited when it comes to fighting big beasts. For example, if you were to go fight a dragon now, you all would be dead in one shot. Ghosts and ghouls are potential enemies in the DND world, and at level one, fighting them would also be deadly. That isn’t to say you couldn’t have seen them or talked to them but fighting them would be unlikely where you currently are at.” 

The group smiles at you and nod their heads in acknowledgment. 

Before you could ask them, Tanner asks, “So when should we meet next?” 

“I was just about to ask that,” you chuckle before continuing, “Does Thursdays at 7pm generally work for you guys? I know things can happen last minute, but is this a time that is usually available?” 

The crew think for a moment before all nodding their heads and saying some variation of the word “yes.” 

“Alright, so 7pm on Thursday it is. See you then,” you confirm before letting them go. 

You could vaguely hear them muttering to one another as they headed to their cars to leave. Seems that they can’t wait for next week to arrive. 

In the meantime, you have session one to plan out for them. 

[cdragons]

"Strawberry Cream Frosting" - Next Gen Eternals AU

Summary: Ikaris and Sephia's son fell in love with Thena and Gilgamesh's daughter. Chaos ensues.

Warning(s): Fluff, accidental love-bombing, Thena and Gil being the best adoptive parents EVER, Mara can't process emotions for shit

Author's Note: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ONE AND ALL! I hope everyone had a wonderful day reading a bunch of fics and looking at fan edits!

When Mara opened the front door, she had her baseball bat ready and was prepared to give whatever fucking dumb solicitor was on the doorstep, ringing the doorbell for the tenth time on a Saturday morning.

She wasn’t expecting…whatever the hell this was.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

It was a giant box that looked about four cubic feet big and was wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper, pink ribbons, and glitter. On the top was a little sign stating, ‘Bee my Valentine?’ with a little crochet bee keychain attached.

Mara just stood under Gil- her parents’ doorway for thirty seconds. She didn’t say anything. She just blinked at the giant package- until she blurted out the first coherent enough thought in her mind.

“What the fuck?”

A head popped from behind the…thing, and suddenly, it all made sense.

Laurie. And from how insane his hair looked, he decided it was a good idea to fly from Scotland to Ka’ena Point, Oahu.  

“Happy First Valentine’s Day!” he exclaimed before shaking the box for emphasis. As if she couldn’t notice how fucking gargantuan it was from just staring at it.

“…Laurie, what the hell am I looking at?” Mara asked. She pointed at it. “Is Arthur in there with a confetti cannon?”

Laurie furrowed his brow in confusion. “What? Oh! No, I know it’s a little big. But it’s your first Valentine’s Day, and I wanted to do something nice be–”

“What the hell is ‘Valentine’s Day’?” Mara interrupted. “Is it like a food day or something?”

“You don’t know what Valentine’s Day is?” he gaped.

She shook her head. “No…what’s the big deal? Is it like that Christmas thing I went to with the small boxes under the tree?”

The mega-watt smile Laurie flashed to her made Mara slightly worried. Despite how predictable he was, Mara could never get a good read on the guy. He wasn’t dangerous- that much was obvious. But whenever he and Mara were in the same room, he would act like he was glued to her hip. It didn’t help that Uri and Arthur immediately clicked on their first meeting.

And it really didn’t help when she shoved a shotgun in his face before his dad with the pew-pew eyes slammed her against the ground by her neck.

“Don’t make that face,” she ordered. “I don’t like that face.”

But Laurie wasn’t listening. He was jumping on the balls of his feet in excitement. “I have to teach you about it! It’ll be lots of fun, I promise! We can do a bunch of stuff! Wait, just let me–”

Mara moved to the side to let him in. “Oh, yeah. Just–”

He set the heavily decorated box on the ground before asking if he could use the bathroom. She pointed it down the hall. When he was out of sight, Mara tried to lift the box to see how heavy it was, and- holy shit, it must have been over thirty pounds.

How the fuck did that tall-ass twig carry this?

She felt a different heat presence behind her- whipping her head, she calmed down when she realized it was only Gil.

“My dad, everyone,” Mara thought wryly while wearing. “The powerhouse of strength in the Eternals, wearing a ‘Kiss the Chef’ apron.”

“Why was Laurie at the door? And what’s in that box?” he asked while holding his famous quiche in a hot cast-iron pan without gloves.

Mara just shrugged. “Hell, if I know. He said it was for Valentine’s Day or something like that.”

“Ohhhh,” Gil smiled. “For Valentine’s Day? And that big box is all for you? That’s Sephie’s kid for you all right.”

“What’s Sephie’s kid?” came a new voice.

Turning her head, Mara watched Thena walk down the stairs carrying Uri on her hip. It still baffled her to witness how the ancient goddess never had a bad case of bedhead the entire time she and her brother lived with her and Gil.

Gil answered. “Laurie came to visit, giving a certain someone a gift for Valentine’s Day.”

Mara’s dad wiggled his eyebrows at his daughter before setting the quiche down on the table while she rolled her eyes at what he was implying.

Uri looked at his sister and then Thena before tugging on his mom's sleeve.

“What’s Valentine’s Day?” he signed.

Smiling at her sunshine son, Thena explained. “It’s a day humans made to celebrate love. You spend it with friends and the people you love. When you love someone very much, you ask them to be your ‘Valentine.’”

She bopped his nose with a finger and softly laughed from hearing his contagious giggles. Mara smiled, too. Uri’s happiness was infectious. His smile alone was her reason for fighting and running as long as she had. She’d do anything to ensure he was safe, which made her happy to know it paid off.

He signed another question. “If my Valentine has to be someone I love lots, does that mean you, Mara, and Daddy will be my Valentine? Or can I only pick one?”

Mara replied as she reached out to hold him. “You can have as many valentines as you want, Uri. No need to ration out the love.”

She pressed a kiss on his chubby cheek. Peace washed over her when he pressed a loud kiss on hers before wrapping his arms around her neck to hug his sister. Uri was the sunniest sunshine summer child to be born. He radiated comfort with his entire being. There was more love and warmth in his toothy grin than…anything. He was her whole world, and she was his. That was enough.

Laurie walked back into view. “Hey, Uri! How’ve you been?”

Uri smiled wide before wildly clapping. He loved Laurie and his family. He mostly loves Ari, Laurie’s baby brother, who became Uri’s best friend after two minutes of meeting him.

She still remembers how Thena decked their dad after he asked if Uri gave his son any drugs after seeing them spin in circles in the dirt. Mara laughed so hard that tears came pouring out of her eyes.

Laurie put his hand to cover his mouth and loudly whispered in Uri’s ear. “Do you think I can take your sister out today? I want to teach her about Valentine’s Day.”

This distressed Uri as he scrunched his face while clinging tighter to Mara. He adapted wonderfully when Thena and Gil took them in, but he hated being separated from his sister for any period. The first day of her new school was a complete shit show because he cried while she was gone.

“But, I promise that I will bring her back shortly. We’ll even bring you souvenirs!”

Uri looked at her in confusion.

“Presents,” she clarified. “I’ll still be your Valentine, and we can go out and look for some pretty shells tomorrow, okay? You can show them to all your fishy friends.”

Although he liked the idea of presents and spending all of tomorrow with his favorite person in the whole world, Uri still didn’t want Mara to go- at least not without him.

“Why don’t we eat breakfast first? Laurie, can you help Uri get ready? I need to make sure Gil doesn’t dose his coffee with any booze.” She handed her brother to her…friend before going to the kitchen.

Gil had a big fucking smirk on his face when she walked in.

Mara snarled as she grabbed the apron he and Thena made for her as a new home present. “Not a fucking word. I don’t want to hear it. By the way, do we have any cinnamon rolls left in the freezer?”

He only smiled wider. “I wasn’t going to say anything. And we do. Why do you ask?”

Taking the leftover rolls, she preheated the oven. She then grabbed some oranges from the basket on the floor. Slicing them in half before setting the sieve over the plastic pitcher, and taking one half of an orange over the sieve. Taking a deep breath, Mara centered herself.

“Karla,” the name echoed in her mind as the soul covered her hand, and Mara squeezed the orange until the pulp was dry.

She took the rinds and absorbed the remaining qi inside it as a tribute of thanks for her friend’s help. Karla was the youngest and wasn’t called on as much as her other sisters, so Mara wanted to include her in something. The warmth on her skin when she returned to her ink-painted nest was a sign she appreciated the gesture.

Thena walked in and stood behind you. “You should go with Laurie.”

“Why?” she groaned out. “I don’t feel like it.”

The oven dinged once adequately preheated, and Mara plopped the rolls on the rack. She grabbed a metal mixing bowl and all the ingredients to make the cream cheese frosting- including some crushed-up freeze-dried strawberry slices. After measuring them and placing them in the bowl, she started to stir.

“You need more friends,” the two ancient beings spoke in unison.

Thena pressed a kiss on her daughter's head. “You don’t talk to anyone at school. And you can’t spend all your free time surfing, at the shop, playing with Uri, and studying.”

Gil pulled in for a giant bear hug. “Hey, no pressure. But you have to admit, it’ll be a nice change to have someone spoil you for once. And with a tall, pretty boy, too.”

Mara glared at her adoptive dad as he moved past her to get to the bathroom. She tried to fight down the red blush blooming on her cheeks. But she only continued to stir the bowl until it became thick and made the color she wanted.

“I get spoiled enough by the two of you as is,” she grumbled. “And also–”

Laurie and Uri, coming into the kitchen, cut Mara off. “We’re here! And I made sure Uri brushed his teeth and flossed. And – woah, Mara! Why is your face so red? Are you sick?”

He put down Uri and raced to her side. He put his hand on her forehead to take her temperature and used his other one to touch his for comparison. He was so close that she could smell the wind on his skin and the mint toothpaste on his breath. Mara stared at his face- how were his eyelashes so long? And why were his eyes so blue? She felt her face heat up even more and cleared her throat before turning her head.

“It’s nothing,” she croaked. “Can you…can you help Thena set the table? The plates and cups are in the overhead cabinets, and the utensils are in the drawers.”

Laurie moved to grab everything to help set up the table on the outside deck. Mara watched as Thena cupped his face with a warm smile and told him how tall and strong he was becoming. Gil returned and ruffled his air before asking if he was still set on becoming a doctor with how much his muscles had grown. Uri tugged on his sleeve to ask if Ari had missed him as much as he missed him.

This was the part of Laurie that Mara could never figure out how he fit in perfectly and seamlessly without issue or error in any situation. She could analyze and pinpoint a person’s position and physical weaknesses with her abilities without blinking. Every living thing had a heat signature that she could exploit.

But with Laurie…she didn’t want to do that to him. It was like his weaknesses only made him more appealing to others. Ever since the girl first met him, he would follow her around like a puppy desperate for attention from its owner. It bugged her for months. And if she were being honest, it still did after a year of knowing him.

Mara couldn’t really explain it. But it was like...his warmth was inherent- it came from a softer place where only goodness existed. It was less of a raging inferno like her own and more like a gentle campfire. If Mara was a snake, then Laurie was a bunny. A bunny nearly six-foot-tall with clear blue eyes and light freckles–

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

The oven’s timer went off- breaking her out of the analogy and into reality. She took the rolls out using an oven glove and placed them on a cooling stone.

“Are those cinnamon rolls?”

Mara looked over her shoulder, and Laurie was crouching right behind her. His chin was practically on her shoulder.

She nodded. “You like them, right? You said your mom made them for you for breakfast on your…um…what’d you call it?”

He was giddy with glee. “My birthday! I told you that at Christmas! We were all at Brympton d'Evercy to celebrate Sersi’s and Dane’s engagement! I can’t believe you remembered that!”

Mara supposed the way he smiled was…sort of cute… nowhere near as blindly adorable as Uri’s, but attractive enough.

“Yeah…well, you did fly to give me that…thing. And you're even teaching me about this Valentine’s Day stuff. So, I thought…this could be my present to you.”

If Mara was facing Laurie, she would have seen the softest look of love and adoration grace an adolescent boy’s face in the history of humanity. Laurie loved Mara Drake so much. His dad said he was too young for dating- let alone love, but he knew they were destined for forever.

He wanted to kiss her so badly. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be pinned down like how he was when they first met.

Mara scraped the little dried spot on the kitchen island. She so did not like feeling as stupid as she did right now. But…she had a gut feeling Laurie was worth it.

“Um…I crushed some dry strawberry things and added them to the frosting. It turned pink, and I thought that was okay since I saw pink on the box and thought–”

“Cinnamon rolls are my favorite, and I love strawberries,” he whispered. “And pink…pink’s my favorite color after blue. It reminds me of my mom.”

“And if you have time, we can…go find some good spots for sea-shell hunting. Uri can take forever, and it’ll save me some time. I know it’s kind of shitty- especially because you’re doing this whole thing.”

“I love you.”

Mara choked on her own spit and turned her head in shock. Her eyes were bulging out of your head.

What- what did he say?

“What?” her voice cracked.

Now, it was Laurie’s time to turn red. Did he really just say that? And with Gil and Thena literally less than twenty feet away? Was he trying to get the love of his life to hate him forever? Oh fuck, he needed to backtrack.

“IT! I meant to say, ‘I love IT!’ I’d love to help you find seashells! I could even bring some for Ari and Aggie! Actually – they made some Valentine's gifts for you and your brother, too! Ari made this really cool card for Uri. He summoned a bunch of turquoise and made this cool heart! So, um…thanks.”

His voice cracked as he stammered to save himself before awkwardly pausing to express gratitude.

An awkward silence echoed as the awkward future couple mutually decided that their feet were the room's most exciting part.

And the dads decided to make it even worse.

“MARA! IKARIS TOLD ME TO TELL YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT LAURIE’S VIRGINITY BETTER BE INTACT WHEN HE COMES HOME!”

Mara was caught so off-guard that she dropped the spatula in her hand. The pink frosting splattered all over the floor and would be a bitch to clean up.

Fucking-

“TELL HIM TO EAT A DICK AND FUCK OFF!” she yelled back as Laurie buried his face in his hands.

He really hoped Aggie had more luck not humiliating herself with Hamish the way he had with Mara.

Somewhere in Scotland, a little Ari sat on the couch with his mommy as she stroked his daddy’s hair. His daddy was lying in his mommy’s lap.

“Mama? Why is Da crying?” he innocently asked.

You only smiled. “Karma.”

At the same time, in the Amazon, a young girl was planning her and her forever love’s future wedding when she suddenly stood up and looked in the distance. Her future husband asked whatever was bothering his little lady love.

The young girl only sighed while shaking her head. “The idiot fucked up.”

Tagging: @ethereal-athalia, @valeskafics, @asa-do-your-thing, @arcielee, @jolixtreesunn, @beananacake, @redheadspark, @vikingqueen28, @lexyysworld, @lilacliquors, @tesha-i-guess, @tess-love, @inejismywife, @bumblebeesuniverse, @aphroditesmoon

Click on this link if you want to read more about this universe!

[downthetubes]

First-Ever Dr. Seuss Graphic Novels to Launch in Spring 2024, by Art Balthazar, Kaeti Vandorn and James Kochalka

Random House Graphic, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, together with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, will publish the first-ever line of graphic novels starring classic Dr. Seuss characters in all-new stories next year

[graphicpolicy]

Around the Tubes

Some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup #comics #comicbooks

It was new comic book day yesterday. What did you all get? What’d you like? Dislike? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web to start the day. The Hollywood Reporter – ‘Daredevil’ Hits Reset Button as Marvel Overhauls Its TV Business – This doesn’t sound good at all and Marvel being a current mess. Smash Pages – Art…

[proteidaes]

Happy book birthday to THE GRINCH TAKES A VACATION!!! 🥳🎉 A brand new DR. SEUSS graphic novel starring The Grinch, Max, and many colorful Whos!

It's vacation time in Whoville but The Grinch doesn't understand...what is a vacation?  Determined to learn what the Whos seem so excited about, The Grinch decides to give a vacation a try! Unfortunately the mountains are too snowy, the beach is too sandy and the theme park is too loud . . . vacations just might not be something that Grinches do? Thankfully, his dog Max isn't letting the Grinch give up that quickly! Will there be some fun in the sun for everyone's favorite Grinch or is the Whos' favority grumpy neighbor doomed to stay home?

The Grinch is determined to take THE BEST vacation ever, but how can he relax when things don't go his way??? Thanks for reading along, and I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story! 🥳🎉 Learn more here ⤵️⤵️⤵️

[autobotcinderburst]

Redesigned Kaetis

[myfairytalesbysharanya]

Was It Love? Part 1

It was Saturday evening when the college has planned a trip to trecking since it was the season of spring. The tourist bus was booked but all were supposed to travel on the same bus. Generally, college takes care of separating girls and boys during travel. There was a twist in this bus. Shoiny was given window seat as she was very fond off all time. Unexpectedly her senior Alex John was allotted in her next seat adjacent to her. Shoiny never sits beside a boy in any journey. But what to do she had no other option. Kaety her bestfriend was given a seat before her that too window seat.

The bus started to head down towards the outskirts of the city towards the trekking place. The journey was estimated to be 2 days and a night journey. Shoiney started to feel uncomfortable with her seat and requested with everyone on the bus to exchange her seat. But no use in requesting because Alex had a crush on Shoiny and wanted to sit with her throughout the journey and had set all the students not to exchange seats with her.

Fighting with senior was only left for her on the bus. That too didn't take much time to occur. By gods grace, Shoiny falls asleep watching the scene outside the window. They have crossed one-fourth of their journey and have reached a hotel.

All got down the bus except Shoiny and Alex since they two were in deep sleep and didn't notice they were holding hands with each other. Rumors started to spread throughout the bus that these two had an affair for a long time and they are trying to make it true now on this journey. Shoiny woke up amidst the disturbances and observed Alex holding her hand tight. Immediately she screamed and slapped alex for doing so. Later she felt regret for raising her hand to him, But she could not digest the rumors she was hearing from her friends. Alex ignored all this and started to read a book with earphones playing songs. It was sunset and Shoiny was enjoying the shades of sunset in the sky through her window and removed her camera to capture the photo.

Unfortunately, her camera fall down and the lens broke into pieces. She was feeling sad that she could not take the beautiful photo she always wish to capture. Alex gave his mobile phone to her to capture the sunset. Shoiny refused and threw his phone onto his face. Alex was never disappointed with her behavior towards him. The journey was not entertaining and the guardian who came with them started to announce a game on the bus. Everyone was asked to tell about their crush and asked in what situation they are going to confess their love. Alex also got a chance and openly told them he love Shoiny but he is never going to confess his love to her since one-day Shoiny will only come to him.

Shoiny started to think about Alex of why he is having a crush on her though she doesn't talk to anyone in the entire college. In the thinking process, she didn't notice she was staring into Alex's eyes. that golden hour created a type of romance in Shoiny and she started to like him for no reason. They crossed 3/4 of the route and were struck in the middle since they had a breakdown. It was a thick forest and it was difficult to find a person to repair their bus. Everyone was requested to sleep in their beds provided with seats. Alex and Shoiny silently blushed within themselves that they are going to sleep together. It was midnight with full darkness covered in the sky and Alex had a nightmare and was scared of something.

What was that nightmare? Was it about Shoiny?

[444names]

mien forenames

Achiem Achingxanh Achio Achoy Aechin Aechiochie Afoon Aichine Aichoy Aleuychang Asen Asid Asiem Asion Aychien Aychow Aychoypoon Ayyoo Ayyoontzir Bchoy Chae Chaey Chaeyuon Chaimeng Chain Chainsio Chaiva Chaiyoo Chamwang Chane Chaneam Chaneseng Chang Chankeng Chankeunta Chankeuy Chanth Chanwan Chaochang Chaochor Chaomensio Charm Charmfoui Charmh Chen Chernta Chewfio Chewhiew Chian Chiaochio Chieng Chienkhwan Chin Chinchiam Chorn Chow Chun Chung Chungmeng Chunn Echinam Faelow Faeng Fahmmen Fahmsen Fahnchoy Famchang Famchiem Famchiew Famhoy Famwan Farching Farchio Farmfoon Farmfouei Farmnyoon Farn Faruy Fayching Fayhiem Feun Feurn Feuychiow Feuyhio Feyan Feychiew Feyfow Feyoo Foon Foong Fouan Fouey Fouix Founliung Fouta Fuen Fueng Fueychieng Fuialiu Fuliu Fulo Fulon Gaichiam Gaimenh Gaisenor Gaisensang Gein Geng Gengfiem Gengpoong Gengyoo Genlio Ginean Guengfou Guey Gueyfiem Hing Jiem Jien Jiengchio Jiengnor Jienorn Jiomengsio Kaelow Kaepoon Kaety Kaoch Kaochiafoo Kaoching Kaochio Kaocho Kaochor Kaochorn Kaochow Kaochoweuy Kaochoyta Kaofonsio Kaofoonta Kaohae Kaohang Kaohanlin Kaohiam Kaohiew Kaohio Kaohioo Kaokouang Kaokoufey Kaolan Kaomen Kaomou Kaopou Kaorn Kaosen Kaow Kaowu Kaoxin Kaoxinny Khaikwee Khaiseng Kham Khan Khanchieng Khang Khannaiyay Khao Kheosio Khew Koakaunny Koanh Koychoo Koyfeuy Koyfou Koyfoui Koynyuonta Koypoon Koyta Laichiem Laichieng Laichiowen Laikou Laikween Laimaiyor Lain Lainh Lair Laiteayen Laivan Laiwu Laiwuenh Laiyaopoon Layen Layhiewhin Layyoon Leeyyieng Leeyyoon Lein Leinh Leix Leosio Liem Lien Lieng Lilon Liooen Lium Lofoo Lofouanfin Lofouchin Lokou Lokouta Louan Louchiem Maey Maeyaeng Mang Mangsen Manmeng Manwa Marmkuang Marmny Maruychio Maungfing Maye Mayeng Mayepoo Maylaiguey Maysio Maysiow Mayyiem Meurnchoy Meuyao Meuychienh Meuychoy Meuyfeur Meuyfieng Meuyfiew Meuyfio Meuyleuylo Meuyny Meuyoon Meyao Meychieng Meychio Meyfieng Meyfow Meypou Meypouan Meyuonmeuy Meyuonsiow Meyyoo Meyyoon Meyyorn Moakaofow Moneamchoy Moneng Mong Mouanchion Mouay Moueinfoun Mouey Mouta Mouynyoong Muan Muanh Mueing Mueng Muenx Mueyfey Mueyorn Mueyoui Mueysid Mung Munliuz Munnyor Muon Muonmeng Muonta Naichiao Naichiew Naichiow Naifarmh Naifaruy Naifo Naifoon Naihie Naihinh Naikhow Naikou Naikwee Nailinsio Naimeng Nain Nainchio Naing Naio Nair Naisae Naisen Naiseosiem Naitean Naiteang Naitee Naiteey Naivan Naivanh Naiyan Naiye Naiyoo Naiyorn Naychinh Nayepou Naylaifoo Nayyoo Nialialin Niam Nungfin Nunlie Ouchio Ouchoy Ouifou Oulailiuz Oulo Ousen Ouwen Paot Peam Peang Phae Saam Saangsio Saanlouaye Saanmen Saey Saneang Saney Sanh Sanian Sanpoor Santzay Sarm Sarny Saruy Seam Searn Seix Sengyoorn Sern Serniang Sernneseng Shung Siam Siamwa Siao Songyoo Soon Souan Souang Souay Souchanta Soueix Soufeui Soui Soukharuy Souy Sueinsio Sueng Suey Suikwen Suix Sunta Susen Taeng Taety Taey Tafo Tafon Tafoon Tafoui Teinchiem Thoy Tongyoon Tonth Tornth Tsen Tseo Tzew Uriam Uriaow Vengxang Venx Vernchio Vernchoo Vernlium Vernth Vorn Vornchio Vuanfou Vuang Vuaye Vurn Wernchinh Wernchio Wernlou Weuy Weuysiew Xeng Yaichoy Yaifoua Yaikwen Yaivang Yaochiamh Yaochie Yaofo Yaohanh Yaojauz Yaokou Yaolan Yaomeyorn Yaopoo Yaosen Yaoxinh Yauan Yauang Yeng Yengyoon Yenorn Yern Yernian Yernnyou Yiah Yialiam Yiam Yiamwa Yiem Yieng Ying Yinh Yoodchinh Yoone Yoonsang Yoorn Zchin Zcho Zchoy

[smashpages]

The Grinch artwork by Kaeti Vandorn. Random House Graphic will publish a series of graphic novels featuring Dr. Seuss characters in 2024.

[kaetiesmindpalace]

Also do you still take requests?

Yes! I do still take requests. Let me know what you were thinking.

[cdragons]

"La Vie En Rose" - Ikaris x Eternal!Reader

Summary: You and Ikaris are finally ready to take a big step in your relationship. The two of you hare details about yourselves to really show how much you two have loved one another throughout your entire existence and since the failed Emergence.

Warning(s): MDNI 18+, very heavy smut in the beginning, loss of virginity, Persephone!Reader/Sephia is demisexual, spoilers, talk of WW2 and its aftermath, mention of suicide, Druig and Kaety are mentioned, almost character death, author tries to talk about music but has no musical background

Author's Notes: I think this might be the longest Ikaris oneshot ever on Tumblr, with a whopping 9.2k word count. For context, I would go to this masterlist, and read the very first post. I would like to thank Grammarly for making sure I don't write like a hill-billy. A huge thanks to @ethereal-athalia for her help. A lot of these ideas could not have been done without her input. I hope y'all have a wonderful Valentine's Day! I also plan to make a Valentine's Day for Druig x Hecate!Reader

Inside the Ritz’s Suite Chopin in Paris, clothes were sprawled across the room. Your dress had pooled on the ground where Ikaris zipped it off you as soon as the door closed. His suit jacket and tie had been removed before you two entered the room. Despite how frantic your movements may have seemed on the outside, you and your lover knew that this moment had been long overdue.

The blue rings in his eyes thinned as his pupils widened at the sight of your strapless bra with its matching lacy cheeky-cut underwear and garter belt. After you ripped his dress shirt and buttons flew across the room, you marveled at the mass of muscle and heavenly skin by softly revering his body with your touch.

You traced every scar and line on his body as if handling a priceless painting. Ikaris sharply hissed at the feeling of your feather touch ghosting over his body. He responded by lifting you in his arms and wrapping your legs above his hips while he kept a firm grip on your soft, ample bottom. He felt your muscles tense before relaxing, and your body melted into his embrace as if the two of you were bodies were born to be together.

“I love you,” he whispered with each kiss he pressed on your skin. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“Ikaris,” you panted, “don’t stop. Please don’t ever stop.”

Trailing kisses down your neck, your lover never took his lips off yours as he carried you across the living room to the boudoir covered with pomegranate flowers. Laying your body gently on the goose feather duvets, Ikaris stood utterly captivated by how your hair framed your face like an ethereal halo.

The sight was nothing short of heavenly.

The luminosity of the moonlight shining through the overhead window gave your form a celestial glow. Your divine figure, added with the contrast of colors from the blossoms on the stark bedspread, made him wonder if this was all a wonderful dream instead of his cruel reality.

Sensing his fear that you were only an illusion, you sat up and took Ikaris’ hand from his side to press a gentle kiss on his palm.

“Ikaris, I am here. I am with you. We are together – now and forever, forever and always.”

Overwhelmed with happiness, your immortal paramour felt a mountainous burden topple down as the relief of knowing this moment was not a figment of his imagination. His Adam’s apple bobbed as tears welled up in his iridescent blue irises.

Ikaris brought his other hand to cup your other cheek before lowering himself to plant a feathery kiss on your forehead. He closed his eyes – savoring the feel of your skin on his lips as he tried to memorize the scent of your hair with the fragrance of the pomegranate flowers surrounding you.

“Ikaris,” you softly begged, “please kiss me.”

And who was he to refuse such a sweet request?

Pressing his lips to yours, Ikaris felt you lower yourself until your back was fully pressed against the bedspreads underneath them. No matter how much his lungs clenched for air, he refused to part for even a breath of air. But you softly pushed him back. Ikaris opened his eyes – prepared to ask if you needed to stop. But he stopped himself at the sight of your lust-filled eyes with the blush on the apple of your cheeks. You reached behind your back and unclasped the hooks of your brassiere before removing the rest of your undergarments.

Time slowed down frame by frame as Ikaris watched you further reveal yourself to him. A part of your hair fell forward to cover your breasts as you lowered your head and fixated on your gaze on the silky scarlet petal of the flower you rubbed between your fingers. Scars and marks dotted your body from battles between deviants in the past. Ikaris knew he was the only man you let see so much.

You sighed as you couldn’t help but feel like shrinking into the shadows as he stared.

“I don’t…I know I’m not as pretty as most of the women you’ve slept with. My body is a bit…, and I’m not as willowy and lovely as Kaety or Sersi. Even Thena is so beautiful and strong. My hips have a weird dip and –” You felt like crying for ruining the moment. “I’m making this so awkward – I’m so sorry.”

Ikaris quietly sat across you for a moment. Then he tipped your chin, and you were forced to look at his stern expression but heated gaze.

“Sephia, your body…it’s lovely. There isn’t a woman or creature more beautiful than you.”

You scoffed inelegantly, but Ikaris shook his head.

“I’m serious. Sephia, I – everything about you is so mind-bogglingly wonderous and beautiful. I have thought so since we first met on the Domo. Who could possibly have given you the idea otherwise?”

You leaned into his chest and let out a deep sigh. “It was no one in particular. I just noticed that men continually gawked at my chest whenever we settled into a new location. They would always stare when I wasn’t looking. Sometimes, when they were drunk, they would tug on my dress and comment that I was either too big or too small. It’s why I preferred to wear their clothing. I thought I attracted too much attention from my Olympian Attire, so I hoped to be noticed less in their garbs. I tried telling Ajak, but she told me not to pay attention to their actions since they were only curious. But it didn’t stop until I told Kaety.”

Hearing your explanation, Ikaris’ hold on you tightened. Once more, he was in your friend’s debt. How dare those lowly men cause you so much strife? Had he known of your troubles, he would have ensured that those fools feared for their lives. But he knew if you were aware of his thoughts, it would only push you away – so he remained quiet.

Instead, he planted a gentle kiss on both of your cheeks and whispered to you how honored he was for this moment. His hands caressed your thighs, and he had your legs straddled on his hips as he made sure you were comfortable on his lap. He let you take the lead by wrapping your arms over his shoulders and groaned at the feeling of you pressing his chest against your bare bust.

The way he moaned your name made your stomach clench. “Sephia. Thank you. I will show you how beautiful to me– tonight and every night from now on if you’ll permit me.”

You nodded your head against the crook of his neck. You didn’t trust your voice to convey your love for the man with you tonight.

But Ikaris needed more. “Say it, Sephia. Look me in the eye and tell me if you want us to continue.”

Taking a deep breath, you lifted your head to show your trust. “I want you to continue.”

Bringing you in for a heated kiss, Ikaris and you explored each other’s bodies with your hands as your lips were locked in a familiar embrace. He then trails kisses down your chin and travels down your neck and across the tops of your breasts. You wondered if he could hear how hard your heart was beating against the confines of your rib cage as you panted for air.

Ikaris used one hand to cup one of your flushed breasts covered in love bites and kisses. On the other, he put his mouth on your puckered nipple and swirled his tongue around the areola.

You slowly rocked your hips and whispered for more. “Ikaris, Ikaris, Ikaris – more, more, please.”

Your body was his paradise, and you were his angel. Everything about you – the perfume of your skin, the silky luster of your hair, the addictive scent of your arousal – it was both all too much and never enough.

Switching breasts to continue his services, Ikaris wondered if he could get you to cum without directly touching you down there. He felt emboldened by the challenge with the breathless praises spilling from your lips that were swollen and red from his kisses.

He traveled down to your navel while continuing to trace his tongue and lips across your skin until he stopped at your navel. Dipping his tongue into your navel region, your initial reaction was a giggle, but then he used both of his hands to reach for your abandoned mounds to massage them. The rough calluses on his fingers gave way to new sensations unbeknownst to you, making your laughter change to moans.

Arching your back, you called out his name with your sweet voice. “Ikaris- Ikaris! It’s too…it’s too much!”

As you arched your back, you pushed your chest further into his hands. He tendered cupped them before giving them a hard squeeze and then used his fingers to pinch your nipples. Twisting and tugging them brought tears to your eyes as the pleasure from the attention he granted to your bosom with the swirling of his tongue in your navel.

The feel of Ikaris’ hot tongue contrasting with the cooling spit from his saliva only added to your rapture. You felt your stomach tighten into an invisible coil as you clawed and grasped onto the bed covers to ground you. The coil became tighter and tighter until your lips started to tremble as your core clenched around nothing, and your mouth opened to let out no noise as your vision went white. Your body squirmed, and you clamped your legs to unsuccessfully quell the sensations.

Ikaris’ mouth traveled down to your nether lips as he removed his hands from your breasts to spread your legs and put them over his shoulders. Although the sight of the Eternals’ strongest fighter between your legs was certainly an arousing view, you couldn't contain snorting at the absurdity of it all.

Your cerulean-eyed beloved raised a quizzical brow to showcase his offended feelings.

“And what, pray tell, do you find so amusing right now, flower?” he asked in a monotone voice.

“I’m sorry-” you couldn’t stop laughing “-I’m so sorry – I just never imagined being in this situation with you – with anyone.”

He gave you a flat look for you to continue.

You went on with your explanation. “For so long, I have never felt this way. You- you aren’t the first person I’ve been with – romantically, at least – but I could never feel myself wanting to go further. It always felt like something was stopping me. For so long, I thought something was wrong with me. And then, after talking with Kaety and Phastos, I thought I might be asexual. But it hadn’t been until those moments we spent in the field outside the village that I- I felt a bond transform from friendship to what I didn’t realize to be love to- to this.”

You stopped laughing and lifted your torso on one elbow to reach him. You cupped his face with one hand, and Ikaris nuzzled his face into your palm – welcoming the feel of your silky touch. In your eyes, there was enough love to make the world outside this room disappear.

“I haven’t felt this way for anyone but you. It was such an unexpected surprise, but I wasn’t scared. I think it was because- well, despite everything, I never felt unsafe around you. Ikaris, the years I spent with you after Thanos’ Snap and before the Emergence were some of the happiest years of my life. I don’t think there are words to describe how much I love you.”

It was only when you stroked your thumb on his cheek that Ikaris realized he was crying. As Ajak’s most trusted and loyal soldier, he had an image of stability to maintain. Before his suicide attempt in flying to the sun, he could count the number of times he cried throughout his life on one hand.

The first was when a deviant managed almost to sever his spine. The pain was so terrible. It took the efforts of Ajak and Kaetlyn to stop him from bleeding out and close the gash, but not without a garish scar across his back.

The second was when you left him and what remained of the team after Kaetlyn and Druig left in response to the genocide of Tenochtitlan citizens from Spanish conquistadors. He was hurt and felt betrayed. He called you weak and naïve to believe that you, Kaet, and Druig had better judgment than Arishem for humanity’s future. While your leaving broke his heart, his sobbing resulted from the pained look on your face from his words. He cried for three days after your departure.

The third time was after he killed Ajak. It broke his heart to kill the one he admired and followed for so long. She wanted to stop the Emergence and stop Arishem’s Grand Design of the birth of a new Celestial. But to do so was to condemn you to a slow and painful death, and Ajak knew that. The Avengers destroyed your regained health when they brought back the rest of humanity.

Ikaris knew that destroying the planet you loved so much would have brought you more pain than your illness, but it was humanity that weakened you so much from the beginning. If the Emergence must occur, Ikaris was sure he could ask Ajak to convince Arishem to allow him to keep his memories. If he had, he would have been able to love you from the beginning of everyone’s rebirth.

But he failed, and it nearly cost him you and your sister. The memory Druig implanted in his mind would haunt him forever. It was so unnatural to see Kaety so lifeless, so cold. The sight and Aisling’s screams with Laoise’s cries made it worse.

The fourth was when he stood before Sersi as her frame kneeled atop Tiamut’s emerging body. You lay unconscious as you allowed your new leader to use your cosmic energy to kill the infant Celestial but also to use your body as a medium to use the Celestial’s infinite amount of cosmic energy to revitalize the Earth. Standing in front of his sister as she kneeled next to your body, Sersi was ready to accept her death at her brother’s hand. But Ikaris could not steel his resolve to aim his heat vision at her heart.

He could not kill his sister – not when she was the one person he could ever love as much as he does you. She was the only person who trusted more than anyone in the world. She knew all his secrets and was the first to realize his love for you.

Just as Kaetlyn was your sister, Sersi was his. And so all he could do was let himself be used to destroy Tiamut, give one final goodbye to his sister, and give you one final kiss before he flew to the sun.

Your voice broke him from his thoughts. “Ikaris? Are you all right?”

“Yes, flower,” he answered with a smile. “Thank you.”

“‘Thank you?’ Whatever for?” Your confused expression was so utterly adorable.

“Everything, I suppose,” he said while shrugging. “Sephia, you said you never imagined making love to anyone for thousands of years. But for me, it was all I could think about with you. As I said that night on the balcony, ‘I was made to love you.’ And I will say these words and show you how much I mean them for however long you permit me.”

Your heart sang out to his at his sweet words. You reached to pull him down for a kiss before whispering in his ear.

“Ikaris, will you make love to me?”

“Yes,” came his immediate answer. “But first, I must prepare you.”

“Has that not been what you’ve been doing so far?”

Your immortal worshiper gave you a lascivious grin in response. “My petal, this had only been the beginning.”

Your hands clenched his hair in a feeble attempt to get him to ease Ikaris’ feasting. But all your actions brought were him spreading your legs further apart. The feeling of his tongue flitting over your clit as he drove fingers to furiously thrust inside your cervix to the point of making you weep in ecstasy.

It started with one, then it became two. Soon, he added the third, and the pain from the stretch quickly drove you to a state of nymphomania. It didn’t take long for you to reach your peak, and it was far more intense than its predecessor. You felt your body spasm for a little bit before relaxing into the mattress as Ikaris languidly stroked your walls to carry out your climax for as long as possible.

This wasn’t the first time he had eaten you out, but it was the first time he could do so without interruptions.

As your essence spilled on his tongue, Ikaris let out an obtusely loud, close-mouthed groan, and its vibrations added to your overstimulation. Your body’s nectar was ambrosia worthy to be tasted only by gods. It was addictive enough for an Eternal such as himself to get drunk on it and crave its taste for all eternity.

He removed himself from the bed before frantically unbuckling his belt and stripping himself of his black slacks and boxer briefs. The way his shaft sprung out and its head hit Ikaris’ naval region made your eyes widen. It must have been around eight inches long, and the sight of it made you unconsciously clamp your legs close. It was pulsing dark pink with veins running along its length, and its head looked so swollen and red that it neared to purplish hue with a pearly white bead of precum leaking out.

You’ve seen corpses and anatomical diagrams. Kaety was the more explicit one out of the two of you. She had no qualms sharing even the most graphic details of Druig’s…thing.

But this was the first time you saw it in person, and you didn’t realize men could be so…big.

“Does it hurt…being like that?” you hesitantly asked as you reached forward to touch it. But he softly grasped your hand from getting too close.

Ikaris chuckled at your innocence. “It doesn’t hurt per se, but it is very sensitive. And if you touch it, I cannot promise you that I will last long enough to enjoy it.”

Kneeling on the bed, he carefully grabbed his length and positioned it just outside your soaking womanhood.

He cupped your cheek and brought your eyes to him. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Don’t think about me. Do you want this?”

Looking into his eyes, you drowned in the overwhelming sea of love that was his beautiful blue eyes. You admit you still felt a twinge of fear. But more than fear, more than lust and desire, you felt safe. What you shared with Ikaris was more than how you ever hoped to feel with someone. It was real – what you shared with this man was true and went beyond physical attraction. Your bond with him had only grown stronger since his return; nothing would ever change that.

“I’m ready,” you whispered as you felt the increasing rate of your heartbeat. “I love you, Ikaris. With all of me.”

He positioned his cock until its head had just entered you. You sharply sucked in a breath.

“I’ll do my best to make it as painless as possible. Take a deep breath if you need to. I won’t move until you feel like you’ve adjusted to it. We can go as slow or as fast as you want. I promise.”

“I know,” you replied. “I trust you.”

He gently pushed himself inside you inch-by-inch. The stretch of your walls around his manhood was almost painful. He was halfway inside you when you asked him to pause with two thin trails of tears running down your eyes.

“I just -” you gasped, “- I just need a minute.”

Ikaris softly stroked your cheek before catching a tear under your eye. “It’s okay. Take all the time you need.”

When you nodded to show you were ready, Ikaris continued to insert himself inside you until he fully bottomed out slowly. When he reached his hilt, he let out a mighty groan and husky rasp as you took a sharp and loud intake of breath. Despite how well-lubricated you were, the stretching of your cervix to accommodate his size was more than you expected. Thankfully, your lover did not move for the sake of you being able to adjust to the feel of him inside your tight walls.

Ikaris propped himself on one of his elbows as he hovered above you. He bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his moans, but the feeling of him being swallowed by your warmth was more euphoric than he could ever dream it to be. He lowered his head enough to kiss away the tears from your eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered so sweetly. “This discomfort will pass, my love. I will not move until you are ready.”

Thank the stars he prepped you earlier. If he hadn’t, you weren’t sure you would have been able to adjust to the feeling of him inside you. It was the strangest sensation. You felt so full – as evidenced by the slight bulge protruding from your lower stomach – but the fullness was almost comforting.

It was evidence that you and your love joined bodies and became one.

You slowly wrapped your legs around Ikaris’ waist. Despite the discomfort, you wanted to feel as close and connected to the beautiful man hovering above you as possible. Soon, the pain lessened to a sting, and it dulled further before shifting to pleasure. It was not long before you craved the friction from Ikaris’ shaft moving inside you and slowly began grinding your hips against him to ease the ache inside you.

Ikaris could feel the fluttering of your cervix and your walls becoming more slick from your increasing arousal. Feeling your hips moving against him, he couldn’t stop the teasing leer at your squirming and the soft moans and whimpers leaving your lips.

“Does it feel good? I wonder how it would feel if I did this–” he pushed his hips to give a shallow thrust and reveled at the way your back was so beautifully arched.

Your cries were no longer laced with pain but adorned with shock from the unexpected pleasure.

“Oh? You like that?” he chuckled in smug amusement. “Fuck, your body is so responsive. You have no idea how much your sweet cries add to my ego.”

“I-Ikaris!” you stammered as you frantically moved your hips. “Please!”

“Please what, my flower?” he teased. “You know I can’t do anything until you provide explicit instructions.”

You wailed in frustration. “You know what I mean, you cruel man! I-I need you to m-move! I want to feel everything! PLEASE!”

Throwing all inhibitions to the wind, Ikaris gave you precisely what you wanted by giving hard, powerful drives. The squelch of your folds from each thrust was downright sinful and caused you to cry out his name. The slapping of his hips against your thighs, coupled with his gruff grunts and your high-pitched mewls, made for the most erotic symphony.

You felt so embarrassed by your reactions, but there was no use in holding back your reactions. You put your arm over your eyes to maintain some semblance of dignity, but Ikaris pinned it down to the side of your head. You opened your eyes to see if your lover was as out of control as you.

You were shocked to see how nearly black his eyes were, with almost no evidence of his lapis-lazuli irises. His lips had a thin, wet sheen of film covering them, and his hair was wholly tousled and unkempt from his usual militant style – a result of you running your fingers through it and yanking it.

“Oh no, don’t you dare cover your face,” he rasped. “I’ve waited for this moment for seven thousand years. All those years of watching those men stare at you with lustful eyes – every soldier, king, even fucking Thor. And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it – what right did I have to do so? But tonight- tonight, I ensure that you will never want anyone else but me.”

You shook your head. “No…only you- I only want you, Ikaris. I swear!”

“Gods, you’re so beautiful,” he cooed. “You feel so perfect – gripping me so tight. Do you feel as good as I do, my flower? Can you feel how I was made for you? As you were made for me? Can you feel how greedy your cunt is for me – I fit so perfectly inside you.”

The euphoria between you two reached such a crescendo that your bodies were frantically rocking against each other at an erratic tempo. You reached forward to cling onto his shoulders as you brought him in a close embrace. The only thing that mattered to you was the man above you and the love overflowing between you. The only thing that mattered to Ikaris was the feeling of you under him and knowing this wasn’t a dream.

The rest of the world disappeared, and the noise from the festivities of the City of Lights became white noise. The only sounds you could register in your lust-hazy mind were Ikaris’ hoarse groans and hushed gasps. The only sounds Ikaris could hear while in his bliss-intoxicated state were your breathless whimpers and sharp cries.

The two of you looked less like the gods humanity regaled in myths and legends and more akin to wild beasts. The sight of your legs tightly wrapped around Ikaris’ waist and the vulgar rings of the slapping of skin from him pounding into you was sinful. The feel of your full and soft breasts rubbing against his hard pecs only heightened the pleasure.

The familiar coil in your stomach returned, and its intensity was reaching a point of almost unbearable pleasure. All you could do was continue to cling to your lover with your nails dragging down his back as he continued to slam into you. Ikaris cursed under his breath at the feeling of your nails scraping long red marks on the skin of his back. He felt your walls start to tighten to show that you were reaching your peak. He increased his tempo to a relentless pace as he felt your walls continue to grip him.

With his newfound vigor, you became all the more aware of how he dragged each and every inch of his cock in and out of you. Your cunt wept at the way his new pace made you stretch even wider to accommodate for all of him. His rough patch of curls around the base of his cock hitting your swollen clit made your mind go blank.

“Ikaris!” you wailed. “Slow – slow down! I think – I think I’m going to – oh, FUCK!”

“Let go, Sephia,” Ikaris grunted. “I want to feel your cunt gripping my cock. I want to feel your walls creaming around me as your womb begs for my cum to fill so much that it leaks.”

Refusing to part from you, he snaked his arm to the space between your legs to press your swollen clit. The pressure from his fingers pinching your nub broke the dam inside you as your juices sprayed and soaked Ikaris’ manhood and naval region. Your back arched, and your legs trembled while the rest of your body pathetically spasmed from the intensity of your release. Your vision went white, and your mind was filled with blissful static as drool dribbled out of your mouth, hanging open at the sheer shock from the release of pressure.

When you came around him, Ikaris gripped the sheets so hard that he heard a faint rip as he felt a mass of textiles clump in his hand. If the fluttering of your cunt was heavenly, then the feeling of your walls clenching so hard around him as you sprayed your essence around him was euphoria. Using both hands, he unhooked your legs around his waist and spread them wide apart until your feet dangled by his head. The new position allowed him to reach so deep in you that he felt the tip of his shaft hitting the entrance of your womb.

He chased the end of his release as you senselessly babbled – your mind was too far gone from your climax, and all you could do was take all of him until he was done himself. It was not long until he felt his body tense, and he thrust himself into you to the hilt and came with a thunderous shout that echoed with your loud cries. The shift of all his weight ramming into the warm and wet hole that greedily latched onto him brought you a new sensation so pleasurable that it rocked on the edge of pain. The spilling of his hot seed inside your womb made you further cling onto him as tears streamed down your cheeks – as if melding your bodies into one being.

Ikaris completely let go of all of his tensions as he lay on top of you – panting for air. Your heart was racing as you tried to catch your breath. For a few minutes, the two of you only wanted to bask in the feel of you together in the aftermath of your lovemaking.

Not wanting to crush you with his weight, Ikaris gently tried to pry himself off you. He thought it would be best to grab a wet rag to help clean you or at least give you some water, but you refused to let go.

“I like feeling you inside me,” you whispered, your voice was a bit hoarse from your screams and cries.

His voice sounded more gruff than usual as he chuckled. “You shouldn’t say such things unless you’re prepared for another round. And by the looks of it, I think you’ve had enough for one night – especially for your first time.”

Ikaris stroked your cheek as he smiled at the sight of you. Your hair was tousled, and your skin was flushed to a lovely hue. There was not a patch of your neck that was not completely littered with red splotches from his bites and kisses. Your eyes were wet from the tears that streamed down your cheeks, and there was a small trail of drool from your mouth.

You were the very image of erotic perfection – only to ever be seen by him.

“…Was it good?” he hesitantly asked. “How do you feel?”

“I feel…at peace,” you replied after a few moments of thinking. “I don’t really feel any different from before. I certainly wouldn’t object to doing it again. But I just feel…content- and happy. Does that make sense?”

You felt your love’s feather-soft lips press against your hairline. “Yes, it does. But are you sure you don’t want to clean yourself? I know your thighs will feel…sticky in the morning if we don’t wipe it off.”

You shook your head. “No, I just want you here with me.”

“At least let me get you a glass of water,” he reasoned. “Believe me when I say you’ll be grateful for it in the morning.”

“Fine,” you relented with a pout. “Hurry back.”

He lowly chuckled as he lowered himself to plant a soft kiss on your temple.

When Ikaris returned with your water, he found you bundled under a cocoon of the bed’s sheets and covers. Shaking his head in amusement, he placed the glass on the nightstand on your side of the mattress. He carefully lifted the covers, not to wake you from your well-deserved slumber, and crawled under them before gently shifting your body in his arms.

As Ikaris closed his eyes and felt the beckoning lull of slumber reach him, he swore he could hear the tune of a trumpet blowing as a rich timber voice sang a familiar song that held a special place in his heart.

Quand il me prend dans ses bras Qu'il me parle tout bas Je vois la vie en rose

With a peaceful smile on his face, Ikaris dreamt of a dear memory. It happened in Paris only over seventy years ago. He recalls the day he first heard the phrase ‘rose-colored glasses’ as if it were only yesterday. Unbeknownst to him, you were playing the same memory in your sleep.

Paris in February 1948 was a less-than-ideal time. The weather was dismal, and the air was filled with smog and cigarette smoke. The snow surrounding him more resembled ash blown from a forest fire than frozen ice particles falling from the heavens. People were still hurting from the losses they suffered in the war. The industry was ruined, food was severely rationed, and housing was in short supply. The once luminescent City of Lights and her people were living in misery.

But Ikaris’ longing to see you was greater than his misery.

You had been visiting the graves of soldiers and victims across France every February since the signing of the Paris Peace Treaties in 1947. While there were thousands of unmarked graves, you knew the names of each fallen soldier and nameless body. The Earth whispered each person's tale as their blood spilled to the ground. You would breathe their name to a single red poppy before laying the bloom on the ground. It was too little while also being too late, but you wanted to show your thanks.

Your heart ached at the thought of anyone crossing over without someone remembering them. You walked these hallowed grounds because these brave men and women had fought for that privilege. You walked to honor and thank them.

It was what Kaety and Phastos would have wanted. It was what James would have wanted.

Feeling a sudden shift in the air, you did not need to look to know who had joined you.

“Hello, Ikaris,” you greeted your friend while still kneeling on the ground. “What brings you here?”

“I just wanted to see you,” he replied. “Is that not what friends do?”

You bitterly laughed under your breath. You finally stood from the ground to face your old “friend.” It hurt to see how beautiful he remained despite how he impassively stared at you – as if you meant nothing to him.

“Are we still friends?” you asked. “After everything?”

If your questions hurt him, Ikaris had not let it be shown. But he at least had the decency to soften his tone and look down at his feet, slightly admonished.

“I suppose I deserve that,” he answered. He looked up to face you once more. “Sephia, I…I missed you.”

A new wave of tears threatened to spill as you scoffed at his words.

“Cruel man,” you inwardly wept. “Cruel, cruel man.”

“Forgive me for my reaction,” you scornfully replied. “But I find that a bit hard to believe, considering how we left things between us last time.”

The last time you had seen Ikaris was over fifty years ago when he visited you in the small open field outside Kaety and Druig’s commune. It was your usual meeting place for the past two centuries. It was close enough to the village that Kaety still felt your presence but far enough to ensure your meeting remained private.

The first time he came, you were so happy to see Ikaris. You were terrified at the idea of him forever hating you for joining Kaety and Druig in seclusion. He had criticized you for going against Arishmen’s orders. He told you it mattered little of what you and Kaety did – humanity was doomed to fail.

The last you heard from Kingo was that Ikaris had disappeared from Earth. No one had seen him since Ajak sent all of you away – not even Sersi or Sprite.

His reaching out to you over everyone else meant so much to you. Perhaps it was selfish, but it made you happy to know your talks and meetings with Ikaris were done without anyone’s knowledge. Not even Kaety knew of his presence. You two would talk about the world that was changing around them while reminiscing about the world that had passed.

With each talk, you felt your bond with your friend strengthen. With each meeting, your attachment to Ikaris became more profound as you often craved to see him just hours after he left. Your feelings grew to the point where you could no longer contain them. It felt like you had laid your entire heart on the line.

“Would you stay here?” you softly asked. “Would you stay here with me?”

And then he left, leaving you in the field by yourself.

“Did you hate the idea–” you hastily inhaled to stop your voice from breaking “– of staying here so much? Could you really have not found any joy in what I do here for those people?”

Ikaris reached out to hold you in his arms.

“No,” he whispered in your hair. “No, Flower, that’s not it. I swear… I swear that’s not it.”

He should not have come. If he were a better man, he would have let you hate him until you could forget him. But he knew you were alone, and his selfishness won out in the end.

“Then why?” you cried. His shirt muffled your words, but your voice broke his heart. “Why did you leave? Why didn’t you come back? Every year, I waited in that field! Because I thought our friendship meant something to you! But you never came!”

“Sephia,” he explained, “I could have never been who you needed me to be for those villagers. I have nothing to offer them but my combat skills.”

“It doesn’t matter,” you tell him. “Everything you told me that night – you were right. It doesn’t matter what any of us do. Humans will destroy everything themselves. Just look where we are now.”

You and he looked at the thousands of white crosses that stood from the ground. You still had nightmares about the bodies surrounding you as hundreds of soldiers entered your tents – only to pass away from their fatal injuries. So many graves without names were men and women you treated before you had to bury them.

Kaety still woke up every night screaming at the horrors and abuse of the victims of Unit 731. What remained of the records of Ishii Shiro and his use of anthrax and the plague as biological warfare would haunt her for the rest of her life. Her thrashing had almost gotten to the point where she ordered Druig to sedate her if she ever accidentally hurt herself or him.

Phastos was practically left in a continuous catatonic state after leaving the site of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But during the times he came back, he could only weep out apologies to the millions of victims for his interference with humanity’s technology from the beginning.

“Was everything we thought we were building for nothing?” you asked. “Was this planet and its people doomed from the start?”

Ikaris only stood silently. He wondered if he was more cruel not to tell you the truth of Arishem’s grand plan after Ajak told him so long ago. But he wanted to see your smile for however long he had left. You were so proud of your creations, and rightfully so. Not knowing what else to do, he figured to let his actions speak more than his words.

“Can I show you something?”

He took you in his arms when you nodded. He lifted the two of you to a dark alley in Paris next to the Seine. The lights surrounding them with the people walking along the river bank made the night cold winter night less cold and desolate than the hopelessness you felt in your heart.

It was a pretty sight, but the view couldn’t have been the only reason why Ikaris brought you here.

“Look around you.” He spread his arms to emphasize his point. “What do you see?”

“…Litter and pollution?”

“Besides that.”

You tried to look harder. “Ummmm…people?”

“Exactly, people who are alive. A florist who sells flowers in the spring to young lovers because she wants to share the fruits of your labor with the world. Families who tour the Gardens of Versailles because they want to bask in the splendor.”

You understood Ikaris’ point. You were the one who tried to explain it all to him for so long, but everything seemed so hopeless now.

“Sephia,” he spoke your name to break you from your thoughts. “What you brought into this world was not for nothing. It never was. You are why people can find beauty and joy in the simplest pleasures.”

You wanted to say something – anything. But words failed to come to you. They always had during the most important events. Suddenly, you heard the melody of one of France’s favorite songs creep into your ear. You felt your Ikaris softly grasp your hand as he gently led the two of you to the direction of the melody.

It was a mixed jazz band playing in the middle of a packed Place Vendôme. They were playing La Vie En Rose.

The symphony of clarinets and flutes made for a beautiful melody. The saxophone altos, French horn, and trombone gave the song a homophonic texture. But the real star of the ensemble was the trumpet. It added a sense of joy and lightheartedness that so deeply contrasted the past decade.

“A favorite demon of yours told me this song was all the rage in France a few ago,” he quipped. “Care to show me why?”

You rolled your eyes. “You really need to stop calling Kaety that. She’ll bite your head off for being unable to think of a new nickname after seven thousand years.”

Ikaris took a few steps forward before turning to you and held out his hand. You only stared at it before realizing the meaning of his gesture. You stared at his face with wide eyes and a gaped mouth to represent your shock.

“You,” you choked out, “want to dance? In the middle of the square?”

Ikaris only shrugged. “Why not?”

“But…but, there’s just – there’s so many people around!” you stammered.

“That’s never stopped you before in Reykjanesskagi.”

“That was during the Maiden’s Day festival!”

“You know, you’re starting to hurt my feelings with how long you’ve kept my arm like this.”

You huffed out a breath in annoyance before you reluctantly reciprocated the gesture. Ikaris must have known that you wouldn’t refuse a dance, especially a dance to one of your favorite songs. You hated bringing attention to yourself, but you loved to dance. You didn’t know what it was – but you could always lose yourself in the notes as your body moved in tandem with the tune. Whenever there was a festival or celebration in any city where the Eternals were stationed, you and Kaety would disguise yourselves as peasants or low-born nobility to fade into the background. So often, you would lose yourself in joy that you would accidentally make flowers bloom around you, even in the harshest winters.

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche Voilà le portrait sans retouches De l'homme auquel j'appartiens

Ikaris pulled you close to his chest. One hand was placed on the small of your back while one of your hands clutched on his shoulder. But the other was firmly clasped in his other hand. Before you began, you saw a few other pairs sway to the band. It eased your nerves to know that you and he were the only pair dancing in the historical square.

Quand il me prend dans ses bras Qu'il me parle tout bas Je vois la vie en rose

Il me dit des mots d'amour Des mots de tous les jours Et ça m'fait quelque chose

Everyone around you seemed to be dancing in slow, expressive, rhythmic steps, resembling an American-style bolero. Given the time and place, it was only natural that Ikaris took the lead. You were prepared to offer instructions, but he surprised you again by showing how comfortable he was in the role and steps.

“I didn’t know you could dance,” you remarked.

Ikaris looked slightly embarrassed as his cheeks reddened. “Sersi taught me. She basically threatened to castrate me if I refused to dance at a speakeasy we frequented in New York in the 20s.”

“Sersi?” you snorted out as he spun and dipped you. “Sersi threatened you? Our Sersi? Lying is a very unbecoming quality, Ikaris. I didn’t think you’d be one to develop it.”

“Oh, if only I could make up such a tale,” replied Ikaris as he grabbed your waist before lifting you without struggle. “Sersi’s can be downright terrifying if she wants to be. Ask Kingo – he’s the only other person who’s seen her like that.”

You couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling out of your throat. And as the band continued to play, you and Ikaris swayed, dipped, and spun for hours. Over three hours had passed by the time the band was finished for the night. When you stopped, all you could do was stare into your friend’s eyes in a rose-hued haze before a thunderous round of applause broke you out of your dreamlike state and into reality. A sizable crowd had surrounded the two of you – hoots, hollers, and whistles accompanied the applause. Your impromptu performance enchanted men, women, children, and even pets.

“Bisou!” called out from a random face in the crowd. It wasn’t long before the call became a chant.

“Bi-sou! Bi-sou! Bi-sou! Bi-sou!”

Feeling suddenly emboldened, you cupped your Ikaris’ face and kissed his cheek softly. The following whistles and cheers would have made you wish to disappear – had it not been for the sweet peck Ikaris placed between the furrow of your brow.

All of a sudden- without even knowing it at the time- the world seemed brighter, and the air started to smell like roses.

Ikaris woke up to the feeling of gentle poking on his cheek. Hearing the swallows sing and feeling the warm sunlight on his skin, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so at peace. He turned his body in your direction before opening his eyes. He was immediately blessed with your bright eyes and sweet smile. Raking his eyes down your body, it looked like you wore his dress shirt from last night.

He adored the way it draped over your curves – especially with how it showed off your legs.

“Are you ready for your Valentine’s Day present?” you asked with poorly contained excitement. Judging by how your smile went ear-to-ear, you practically bounced out of your skin.

Ikaris furrowed his brows in puzzlement. “Was last night not my present?”

You rolled your eyes. “Why would sex be your present? I thought I made it pretty clear that I hadn’t expected the night to turn in that direction.”

“Well then,” he chucked in amusement over your flushed cheeks and pout, “what is my present?”

Your eyes shone in delight as you lightly kicked your feet against the mattress. “You’ll have to get out of bed for that! Come on!”

You dashed into the next room while Ikaris wrapped the sheets around him before locating his briefs and grabbing a pair of gray sweatpants in his luggage. Once putting them on, he stretched out his back and arms from behind the balcony window before opening it and letting in some air to freshen the room.

When he crossed to the piano room, he was mildly surprised when he saw you seated at the pianoforte. You pressed the keys to carefully listen if the instrument needed any additional tuning. Satisfied that the pitch wasn’t flat, you turned to Ikaris, who was leaning under the doorway.

“Are you ready?” you asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” he replied.

You positioned your fingers over the right keys while straightening your posture. Clearing your throat, you began to play at Adagio. Your body swayed to the melody as if you had become one with the instrument. Every key you lovingly caressed let out a note sounding so beautifully as if the music came alive just for you. You closed your eyes before you began singing.

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche Voilà le portrait sans retouches De l'homme auquel j'appartiens

Quand il me prend dans ses bras Qu'il me parle tout bas Je vois la vie en rose

Ikaris’ eyes widened. Were you playing…had you –

But his thoughts were interrupted as your rich singing broke through his stupor. Your sweet voice was soaked in honey and laced with the roses from the song.

Il me dit des mots d'amour Des mots de tous les jours Et ça m'fait quelque chose

Il est entré dans mon cœur Une part de bonheur Dont je connais la cause

For a moment, Ikaris truly hated that his French wasn’t as proficient as yours. Had it been, he would have been able to appreciate your singing that rivaled the voice of angels properly. Was it possible for one to sound as rich and effortlessly fluid as sweet syrup?

C'est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie

Et dès que je l'aperçois Alors je sens dans moi Mon cœur qui bat

Your fingers lightly danced along the keys to give your voice a brief intermission. And for a few moments, it felt like Ikaris’ soul had returned to his body. And although he expected you to stop, you began to sing the English translation.

Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose

Whereas the original French version required a slower and softer pace to grasp the ballad's meaning and beauty, the English version required a slightly quicker tempo. It brought a more joyful mood and tone compared to the lovely but melancholic French version.

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

And when you speak, angels sing from above

Everyday words seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose

When you finished, Ikaris was once more completely and utterly entranced. You turned to face him with hopeful eyes. You long memorized this song since that night in Paris over seventy years ago. When you began to learn how to play the piano, you did it because you never wanted to forget the ballad’s meaning and how it touched your heart from that night on.

“You once asked me why this song was so popular,” you began to explain. “Édith Piaf wrote ‘La Vie en Rose’ in 1945 and released it as a single in 1947. The song’s popularity quickly reached global success as jazz artists began to sing its covers. Louis Armstrong played it on March 2, 1948 – at the same Jazz Festival you took me in Salle Pleyel.”

You stood up as you tenderly traced a single black key that released a soft C sharp when you pressed it.

“As you remember, all of Europe was in chaos and misery after the war. Everyone lost someone fighting. So many men and women who returned became shells of themselves. People were starving and homeless from the constant airstrikes. But Édith wrote this song to remind Paris to never lose sight of the happy times and good things in life. You shouldn’t forget the bad times, but you also shouldn’t forget to look at life without seeing the beauty of everything around you.”

You walked towards Ikaris before standing before him and wrapping your arms around him. You laid your cheek against his chest and smiled at his beating heart's steady and strong rhythm.

“That night- when we danced at the Place Verdôme- the song they played was stuck in my head for months. Whenever I felt sad or disheartened, I would put on the record I bought to listen to it. I know you have your doubts about humanity. You always had them, as had I. We were never the ones who loved humankind, especially after the atrocities they had committed. I hated what they did to the Earth, how much they polluted it, but – Oh, Ikaris. I made you cry again.”

Touching his cheek, Ikaris realized that he was indeed crying. That’s twice in less than twelve hours, a new record. Just what in Arishem’s name had you done to him?

He shook his head. “Never mind my tears. Continue.”

“Listening to that song, I finally realized why so many of our family kept faith in humankind. Kaety and Druig have their twins and remain in their village. Phastos and Ben have Jack. Sersi has loved and lost more than any of us, first with Jane, but now she’s with Dane. Kingo lives among them effortlessly and adores them. Even Makkari remains joyful because she keeps looking at life and seeing its beauty.”

You paused for a moment before standing only tip-toes to press a kiss on his nose.

“Ikaris, you don’t care much for humans. But that night, you reminded me why I did what I did in the war. You reminded me that there will always be people who will take comfort in the most simple pleasures- a rose’s bloom, the crisp bite of an apple, or even the sound of a child’s heartbeat. So, for just a few minutes, I wanted to give something to you the way you have for me.”

Words failed to convey the love Ikaris felt for you. All he could do was tightly hold you in his arms and never let go. For the first time since he came back, he felt it was alright to love you. That he wouldn’t pollute or ruin you the way he had done with everything else in his life so many times. Ikaris knew that it was his destiny to love you. But you- you chose him. You chose to love him. And that fact alone was enough to make him die without regrets.

“I hope children have your voice,” he murmured into your hair before facing you with wet eyes. “And I hope that they have your heart.”

He cupped your cheek, and you kissed his palm softly. “Only if they have your eyes and your art skills.”

Ikaris must have heard you sing your rendition of ‘La Vie en Rose’ a million times. You sang and taught it all your children— Laurie, Aggie, and Ari – on the piano or tucking to bed. But that first time he heard you sing it- that morning when the sun pooled into the room as pink roses and red asters suddenly bloomed- that will always be his favorite.

Thank you if you if finished the story! Let me know if you enjoyed it, and make sure to like, comment, and reblog!

Tagging: @ethereal-athalia, @valeskafics, @asa-do-your-thing, @arcielee, @lexyysworld, @hypnoticmistake, @jolixtreesunn, @tess-love, @she-wintersoldat, @vikingqueen28, @lilacliquors, @beananacake, @tesha-i-guess, @littledoveofchaos, @atjsgf, @littlewitchoftheweast, @fireinmoonshot

Let me know if the comments if you want to be included in future Eternals posts!

[troloyunu]

My part of the collab with @coockiedrop

Basically we decided to draw the Candies we miss a lot!! The other half will be done by Hanna. Love you girls!  @ne-neptune @sakurina-mcl @xxpastel-raccoonxx @vanillaamoursucrethings @joy-mcl @minty-bear

[coockiedrop]

Long time no see any art from me, huh? Well, for mermay I decided to draw Aria and @troloyunu‘s Kaetie as a pirate/mermaid!! I hope you enjoy!! I’ve missed y’all, but I often forget(?) to post my finished pieces here, so yeah. Oof.

[xxpastel-raccoonxx]

For @troloyunu ♥ Hope you like this small chibi Kaetie!