#osas

[nerdynuala]

Little thingy for the latest chapter of Of Saints and Sinners because it has so many scenes that are awesome for illustrating them and I wanna draw them all

And also because the fic has me in a chokehold, who am I trying to fool

@morningstarwrites is probably so tired of seeing me around but it's their fault for making me fall for these two awkward old men

[dirtgrubber]

stop flirting while you’re On Air you dweebs

inspired by the amazing fic by @morningstarwrites

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

Pieces of My Heart - Chapter 1 Stray Kids OT8 x reader, Soulmate AU

Masterlist | Next Chapter

When you first arrived in the city, it was in the middle of the night. The sights had blurred around you, your dinner had felt tasteless, the forced smiles to the hotel staff and strangers you boarded the elevator with making your cheeks ache. You wanted nothing more than to just crash in your bed and go to sleep, which was exactly what you did.

In contrast, the second day felt like waking up in a movie.

You would have contributed your good mood to the concert, but it wasn’t until tomorrow. There was just something about the air around you as you got up and got ready, the way that the city sounds you’re your open window made you smile instead of feeling irritated like it had last night, or the way you’re your smile to the strangers in the elevator felt a lot less forced. Maybe it was the anticipation of being in a city you had never been in before, the new sights that you hadn’t been able to appreciate the night before.

There was an extra skip in your step as you made your way out into the streets.

Your first stop was to a café you had googled the day before that was only a 15-minute walk from your hotel. It had great reviews and offered your favorite treats, so you wanted to get something to eat before you decided to visit some of the city’s landmarks.

The café wasn’t particularly full when you arrived, only 3 people in the line in front of you, but somehow the small chatter and the colorful menu managed to distract you until there was only 1 person still in front of you.

It was only then that you realized the red string that disappeared through their chest. And your heart skipped a beat.

For as long as you could remember, the floor around you was littered with red strings. When you were younger, your mother explained to you what a soulmate was, explained the stories and myths behind it, tried to explain the science behind it, but the thing that grabbed your attention the most was how insistent she was that you never tell anyone how many strings you had.

8 strings.

“Not everyone has a red string”, you remembered her telling you. “Some people have words, the first words their soulmates will say to them. Some are lucky, they have names. Some people don’t know what their soul bond is until they meet their soulmates, some never get any at all.”

“But I got 8,” You had exclaimed proudly with a smile, the excitement of having 8 people to love all you could think about. You were too young to consider the ramifications of having so many soulmates. The constant harassment you would endure, the words people would whisper behind your back.

Most people got 1 soulmate. Some were lucky, and they got 2 or 3. Not all soulmates were romantic, some platonic or even familial, but since the vast majority ended in a romantic relationship, the idea of multiple soulmates was frowned upon.

You had learned from a very young age to ignore the strings that followed you around.

But this one was impossible to ignore.

The man in front of you shifted, enough that the string followed his movement. It was leading directly to him, not just passing through. You had deduced a long time ago that your soulmates lived very far away, since their strings rarely changed directions. You had never seen it this high, never seen it move so easily, and there was no doubt in your mind that your soulmate was directly in front of you.

Your brain froze.

“Thank You! Next?”

The barista’s voice snapped you out of your stupor, and you snapped your head to the side to follow the string (and your soulmate) as it moved to the seating area of the café. You forced yourself to look away, your heart still beating hard, and impulsively ordered the first thing on the menu. You gave them your name and stumbled to an open table near the café windows, on the other side of the store from where your soulmate now sat, scrolling through his phone.

‘Talk to him’ a voice in your head screamed at you.

‘What do I even say to him?’ the logical side argued. ‘What if he had the first words soulbond? You don’t want your first words to him to be something stupid’.

The other voice grumbled in agreement, and you struggled to think of something to say. Something flirty, maybe? Or something sweet, reassuring, so you knew they grew up with kind words on them. What if they didn’t even have a first words soulbond at all? They couldn’t have an indicator type bond, otherwise they would have noticed you by now.

And like a flip had been switched, you were suddenly very aware of the other 7 strings that sprouted from your chest, and the movement that came from them. Two of them were behind you, swaying slightly as if affected by a small breeze, and the other 5 were at eye level, disappearing into the distance through the café windows, out into the city.

Not just into the distance. Up above.

All of your soulmates were here close by, possibly even in the very same city as you. The thought made your already nervous heart nearly burst out of our chest. You nearly jumped out of your seat when the barista called out your name, and you rushed to the front to grab your drink only to realize that your soulmate was no longer in the last place you had seen him.

You turned in your spot, eyes darting around frantically, and you spotted his blue jacket just as the café doors closed behind him. Through the windows, you watched him make his way to the left.

Moving so fast that your hot drink splashed against your fingers, you stumbled out of the café behind him, eyes trying their hardest to keep sight of his retreating back as it blended into the crowds.

“W-wait!” You shouted. A few people around you stopped to look, but not your soulmate.

You were running now, panicked at the idea of losing sight of your soulmate, the person that destiny had created to match with you on every level, the person you had dreamed of meeting your entire life. You yelled out again, nothing coherent and certainly not witty or flirtatious or nice, but it was enough to get them to look back.

God, you really hoped they didn’t have those words on them forever.

The man, your soulmate, had his face hidden by a mask, his eyes covered by a hat and yet somehow you could sense the panic that was coming off him in waves by his body language along. It was enough that you suddenly lost your confidence, stumbling to a stop in front of him as you took a deep breath, staring into his wide eyes with your own.

He held his coffee in front of him as if he had been prepared for you to tackle him, his entire body tense.

“You-“

Your voice seemed to get stuck in your throat, and so you took a second to swallow. Your soulmate used that moment of silence to lower his raised arms, his shoulders seemingly relaxing but still holding tension.

“Ah, hello.” He said.

In Korean.

You blanked, your words immediately dying. You started to panic, thinking to yourself ‘shit, he speaks Korean. Does he speak English? How were you going to explain this situation to him now?’ when he continued.

“Oh, do you need … something?”

These words were in English, heavily accented and a little slow, as if he was unsure himself of what he was saying. But it was enough reassurance that even if he didn’t speak English well, he had to know enough to understand what you were about to say.

You really hoped he did.

“You’re my soulmate!”

Both of you stared at each other with equal degrees of shock. Him at your words, and you at your bluntness.

‘God, really hope he doesn’t have first words’.

At his silence, his lack of reaction, you began to have doubts. What if you had been wrong somehow? The string attached to your chest definitely connected to him, but maybe it was a one-sided connection. One sided soulmate bond was extremely rare, but you had 8 soulmates.

Maybe this was simply a mistake.

Your panic must have shown on your face because he suddenly moved, raising his hands in reassurance and babbling something quickly in Korean. You only understood ‘its okay’, watching as his own panic seemed to overcome him as he looked around. You weren’t sure what he was looking for, but as his eyes landed on your own drink, he was suddenly right in front of you, pushing your drink up towards your face.

“Drink,” was all he said, urging you to do exactly that.

At his sudden movement and weird manhandling, you began to pull away from him, confused. “What, wait what the hell man!”

But then he let you go, mimicking with his own drink what he wanted from you. “Drink, please.”

And then it hit you, that he wasn’t just being weird. He wanted you to drink your drink, because he wanted to see if you were actually his soulmate.

It wasn’t unexpected for some people to use a soulmate bond as an excuse to get close to strangers, to take advantage of others, and the fact that you didn’t think about that before suddenly springing this on to a complete stranger made you want to hit yourself in the face.

So, with a nod of understanding, you were quick to down your now cooling drink. It wasn’t bad, not your usual go to choose, but it had a strong after flavor. You grimaced at the sensation, running your tongue over your teeth to get rid of the taste.

And then you were being pulled into a hug.

It was like something inside of you clicked, like a piece of the puzzle being put together. All your worries were gone, all your thoughts empty, the only thing you could feel was peace. The rest of the world just disappeared.

Your weren’t sure how anyone could confuse someone for their soulmate, not with this feeling to confirm.

He pulled back, saying something once again in Korean, and then pulling you back in for another hug. “You are my soulmate! Ah, I’m so glad. I … wait a very long time.”

“I, I’m really glad too,” You whispered, trying hard not to cry at the sudden emotions that overwhelmed you.

You held him just as tightly, breathing in his scent and familiarizing yourself with the way your arms fit perfectly around his shoulders. When you finally pulled away, you were suddenly aware of the fact that the two of you were in the middle of the street, and while it wasn’t odd to see soulmates meeting in public and it was usually common curtesy to give them space, some people were glaring as they walked around the two of you.

Woops.

Your soulmate seemed to realize at the same time, and you weren’t surprised when he grabbed your hand to pull you off to the side. What you did find odd was the sudden panic at he pulled his cap down further, turning away from the crowd and pulling you close so that you were hidden behind him. You tried to look behind him to see what he was hiding from, but he pulled you back in.

“Ah, no. Please. Uh …. Not safe.”

“Huh?”

His eyes narrowed as his nose scrunched up, and he scratched his neck. “I … um. Fuck. I am a … celebrity.” He gave an exaggerated point to his face, waving his finger around the mask specifically, and you nodded in understanding.

Then your brain caught up.

Having a celebrity for a soulmate was definitely unexpected, but you supposed it wasn’t impossible. You had seen a couple of celebrities announce their soulmates were random people, sometimes even fans, but you had never once entertained the idea that you could be one of those people. However, with 8 soulmates, it was bound to happen.

And then your soulmate gave another quick glance around, and he turned back at you with a soft gaze.

His hand reached up to grab his mask, pulling it down just enough for you to see his lips move with his next words.

“My name is Yang Jeongin. It’s nice to meet you.”

You would have found the way he slightly bowed his head in greeting adorable if you weren’t too busy freaking out. He quickly pulled his mask back up and asked you what your name was, but you couldn’t get your mouth to close from where it had dropped. And while he tilted his head to the side in confusion at your silence, he quickly righted himself as he seemed to realize what had happened.

“Ah, are you Stay?”

You could tell he was smiling. Your mouth closed shut so quickly it made an audible snapping noise, and you stuttered out your name. When his smile only seemed to grow, you quickly hid your face behind your hands and let out a groan, not even complaining as Jeongin seemed to laugh.

What were the odds?

“So cute,” he cooed. “My soulmate is Stay. Good.”

You had been saving up for months to afford the plane ticket, the hotel, the concert. The concert you were supposed to go to tomorrow.

“It’s okay. Don’t hide, please. I’m happy!”

Jeongin’s hands covered yours, pulling them away from your face so he could see you clearly. His eyes were so soft, so full of emotions you couldn’t begin to comprehend, and you couldn’t stand to see him, so you buried your face into his shoulder instead. He didn’t complain, pulling you into a hug and letting out a hum in content.

“Finally,” He whispered. He said something else in Korean, but your little knowledge was not enough to translate what he said, and he didn’t repeat it in English, so you weren’t even sure he was talking to you.

What were the odds that you would meet your soulmate the day before their concert?

[art-eat3r]

Sketch/pose study of a scene from @morningstarwrites OSAS!

[grendel-menz]

They've both got trouble with sleep

[autumn-equinox-04]

WHO IS STILL READING MY SHIT ITS BEEN GATHERING DUST FOR SO LONG

(but whoever it is ty and ilysm you’re the best :)) <33)

[incorrect-of-swamp-and-sea]

Jonah, praying: Dear God, please have Mercy on my soul. And body. And legal documents. Amen.

[yourockthebeatofmyheart]

Favorite podcasts: Of Slippers and Spindles (2020-2023)

“Listen, I’ve got a whole other point to make about the fact that this woods is apparently infested with dangerous wolves and they’re sending, like, a seven-year-old in unescorted.”

A message for @droo216 & @intelligencehavingfun under the cut:

Thank you to Drew and Cassie for this lovely little show that reignited my love of fairy tales and telling classic stories in new, original ways. I've learned so much about storytelling, the art of adaptation, and, of course, fairy tales through OSAS, and it's been a welcome distraction through some rough patches in my life. Thanks for the laughs, the wisdom, the heated debates, and for sharing with us your friendship, your open-mindedness, and your passion for stories. Much love to you and yours 💕✨

[thursdayfictions]

Free readers began the final chapter of season 2 last night! The long-awaited Quorum finally begins, and that means a tense family reunion for Jonah... Don't forget to catch up with OSAS now on WEBTOON!

[ingthing]

Of Sense and Soul: A Kickstarter Post-Mortem ✨

In the four days since the successful-but-nail-biting funding of @forsythiaproductions' Of Sense and Soul campaign, I've written a little (okay, it's long) Post-Mortem about it!

OSAS has always been an ambitious brainchild, and some form of crowdfunding has been in our sights from the start… This is how we got to where we are now, and what I took away from the experience beyond the funding itself.

Read the post at ingthing.dev!

[dirtgrubber]

from my new favorite scene in my favorite fanfic by @morningstarwrites

[ofsunflowersandswords]

i. once, there was a little lamb. once, she dreamed of the wild, and of the wolf.

fragments of a diary.

--

Unfortunately, she recognizes this floor. The polished marble reflects her own face back to her; she raises a hand to trace the abalone mask delicately resting over her face, fingers following the carved whorls of the lamb's wool.

She's in a silver dress, too; a moment of examination reveals it to be her wedding dress, and she swallows back the sourness the thought brings with it.

This is her wedding dress, but it is not her wedding being held in the grand ballroom around her. Nobles swirl about in elegant finery, gold embroidery spidering along rich suits of blue and red, black and silver, all the favored Elysian colors. She thinks she may recognize a familiar frame or two; red curls neatly arranged around a feathered mask, dark hair chopped short with a mask that dances like fire, but they disappear into the throng of dancers.

She doesn't think she's ever remembered the Aphelion family hosting a masquerade on their grounds. Not with how legendary their worry about security for the royal family is.

It's novel. But it still sits wrong, a viscous knot stuck in her throat as she hovers at the edge, unseen and forgotten, as always--

The crowd parts, smoothly as if they'd been choreographed, for a familiar frame loping towards her. Silver wolves race along the hems of his dark suit, a neat complement to the snarling wolf's mask perched atop his face; despite the fury of the mask, she can make out the warm smile.

She can also make out the way it doesn't reach his eyes.

The world narrows down to the two of them. Jack bows, picture perfect, and extends a hand to her; the suit rides up enough for her to see the runework flare up his arm, furious whorls of black ink. When he speaks, there's enough of a hint of amusement that it feels like he's inviting her in on the joke.

"I see they've saved the best for last. May I?"

"You may," she manages to murmur around the fresh pounding in her eye. Taking his hand, she whirls with him onto the dance floor; she fits as if he was made specifically for this moment, tailored around her, and none of it does anything to soothe the voice screaming in the back of her head that this isn't right, that Jack fits in too seamlessly with this pit of vipers.

-- -- -- -- -- --

On their third revolution, she takes her determination by the teeth, and braces her hands against Jack. He's cold-- too cold-- underneath her hands, nothing like her Jack, who always burns like a barely-contained wildfire.

"Why are you here?"

Jack- not!Jack- studies her. The smile doesn't fade- if anything, it grows wider. She can make out a chipped incisor. That one, she knows, is new- a wraith that had caught Jack off-guard in the mountains, as they had traveled, as is the little silver scar cutting through his bottom lip.

"I can't enjoy your company?"

Her eye throbs in time to each word. Skye grits her teeth, but keeps her voice light. She knows how to play this game. She has decades behind her of masking her pain.

"This is a lot of effort for someone's company," she demurrs, knowing full well Jack can see how sharp her gaze is. They both know she knows, by now- the only question remains why.

A soft, grating chuckle that she can physically feel rumble against her. The hair on the back of her neck rises as Jack tilts his head in concession, dark eyes winking in the low light. When had it gotten so dark? The music has quieted, leaving the two of them in their own little bubble; even the silence offers no reprieves to the pounding drum behind her eyes.

"You can't blame me for being a little curious," he murmurs, and sweeps her into a dip before they whirl back to their starting position. She bites back a startled gasp, but true to Jack, he doesn't drop her- indeed, he takes her weight like she's no more than a feather to him.

For just the slightest moment, she swears the light shifts the wrong way, the blank space between the shadows crushed into a facismile of a blank face.

Jack continues, allowing her to spin them into another revolution. He's bent his head to whisper in her ear; they're entwined so close she couldn't slide a sheet of silk between them if she wished to. "A princess, sweet as a spring lamb, gallivanting amidst a flock of spring lambs, fearless as your namesake. Tell me, little star- are you not afraid? You open up your heart so fearlessly--"

The faintest hint of teeth, grazing along the shell of her ear. By sheer willpower alone, she doesn't flinch, tilts her head to meet his gaze evenly. From this angle, in the deepening shadows, all she can make out are teeth and eyes, glinting like polished bone.

"--but do you not fear that we'll eat it up whole, sweet thing?"

-- -- -- -- -- --

"My heart is not yours to devour," she says, quiet but as firm as she's learnt to be- as she's been encouraged to be. "It is theirs to hold, but not yours to steal."

"Shame," Jack says, and their revolution across the empty floor begins to slow. "You love monsters so easily, sweet thing. What would one more be?"

She draws in a sharp breath- whether to rebuke or sidestep, even she doesn't know- and he only laughs, finally bringing a hand up to cup her cheek, feather-soft and shockingly cold against her flushed skin.

"We could love you, in turn. You would never know loneliness. You would never want for company."

She recognizes these words from much quieter nights, spent watching Jack's stuttering breaths and quietly trying to sync her own to it, a pale shadow of companionship.

"I do not want for love," she says again, softly but no less vehemently, a far cry from the last time she'd hesitated. "And I know that you know, wearing his face as you do."

It'd be impossible to fill his shadow without feeling the sharp heat of his devotion, a fiery counterpoint to Mori's quiet attention. Jack sighs, softly, and she feels the winter's chill ruffle her dress, icy claws sinking in through the thin silk.

"Lovely little thing, warm as your affection is," he murmurs, and now she realizes that while one hand cups around her cheek, his other arm wraps around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. A little closer and she swears he's looking for a way to crawl under her skin, pressing closer and closer as he leeches every drop of heat out of her. He leans down to press his lips to the fragile skin in the crook of her neck, just where her heart hammers. "What a heady feeling that must make. We don't see it often, you know. Too often it's cut with the bitterness of its lesser cousins. Not many are as sweet as you- surely you won't begrudge us a taste?"

Teeth close around her neck-

and she-

falls-

--

[pickmeforjesus]

it's all "saved through faith not works" until it comes to homosexuals. Suddenly 'oh the gays have to obey God's commandments otherwise they're not really Christian/aren't Saved'

so you agree? you agree that WORKS (=obeying to God's commandments) matters for Salvation?

[asteriuszenith]

You guys ever be like "this story is just going to be a straightforward slowburn romance political intrigue fantasy story!" And then two weeks after brainstorming with your co-writer it now has a horror aspect to its backstory with a horrid fucking antagonist.

@seaswalllow hi bestie <3

[autumn-equinox-04]

Summary: The first thing he noticed was the hands. Shadow had slender wrists with long, slim fingers, and surprisingly narrow shoulders. His eyes- the only feature that was visible- were a deep chocolate brown, and they were framed by long, dark eyelashes that swept over his cheekbones when he blinked. He was strangely- feminine.

And there was something familiar about his gaze, too, burning into him like a wildfire.

----

or

the aladdin au that no one asked for

sloooow updates

cross-posted to wattpad

hope you enjoy!

[incorrect-of-swamp-and-sea]

Mercy, looking through Jonah’s backpack: Good lord, were you raised by WOLVES?!

Jonah: No, I was raised by a snake lady and a beetle man.