#paralyzing them temporary is just one part of it

[lunaetis]

@solaetis asked :

"Now, don't give me that mournful look. It's true that in some ways I've been 'outsmarted', in the end I was able to get the gnosis, is that not so? Meanwhile, the lot of you are rotting here with the self-same dissatisfied look as if your contributions to the cause are infallibale. Well, Arlecchino, let's hear what your lips can concur at this moment. Certainly you've concerns to raise. If your knotted brows could speak for you, it would." - Dottore

unprompted. || always accepting

─「アルレッキーノ」─ the moment she saw his face, the VERY MOMENT the words of the news had left his lips, the knave no longer was processing anything else that followed after. she didn't even know what kind of expression she was making for the other to still be talking as though nothing happened. perhaps, in his mind, in this one's mind, it didn't feel like anything was wrong. sure enough, it didn't. it was an EXCHANGE, wasn't it ? whether it was fair or not, that was the least of his concern. as he said, he was able to get the GNOSIS.

but at what cost ?

without warning, the knave had violently slammed the form of the second harbinger against the wall behind them, hard enough for the SURFACE to almost crack under the impact itself as cross-shaped pupils quivered uncontrollably, if the way her gloved hands clenched against his clothing didn't tell of that already.

" HOW DARE YOU — " seething fury was obvious in her murderous tone, teeth gritting so hard that her jaws were hardened and her eyes FLASHED a blood-dripping color of crimson in surge of her power and his movements were TEMPORARY PARALYZED. she held herself back, however, even though all she could think of was to literally rip his throat out with her hands. arlecchino was shaking in PURE RAGE, gloved digits wrapping themselves around the column of his neck. like a beast baring her fangs in a violent growl.

how dare. how dare. how dare !!

a kind of violence that served as a retaliation for the GRIEF and heartbreak she was experiencing. all of it. all because of him.

" BRING HIM BACK. "

he was mine. mine.

[ms-demeanor]

Can you offer any advice for avoiding hoarding when part of the problem is that trying to deal with the clutter and garbage and dirt causes paralyzing anxiety? I want my house to be clean and cluttered because it's stuff I like, but instead it's full of trash and stuff that had a place but doesn't seem to fit back in it after being used.

I can absolutely offer advice about that.

Short TL;DR:

Select the room you want to clean and make a map of it.

Divide the room into small segments like "top of desk" or "cabinet under sink" or even "half of junk drawer." SMALL segments.

Designate bags "trash," "donate," and "consider later."

Schedule a time to work on cleaning each segment, don't just assume "i'll do it next week." Write down an assigned day for each area.

Go into your target area and sort things into those bags.

Optionally, create a bag for memento items to put into a specific memento box/book.

Take bags out of the space when they are full to make more room to work and to see progress.

Do the section for the day and stop. Don't get overwhelmed by a ton of stuff, stop when you've done what you planned for the day (unless you've got good momentum built up and continuing will energize you.)

Long TL;DR:

Go someplace where you are not looking at the mess. You want to draw a map of the room, but you do not want to be in the room. Work one room at a time.

Divide the area you want to clean into very small spaces. You aren't cleaning an entire desk, you are cleaning one drawer of a desk.

Take three containers with you for each section: one trash bag, one donation bag, and one bag of stuff to consider later.

Plan out time to work on the space. Don't say "I'll do the whole thing this weekend" or "I'll get to it after the holidays," sit down and write out a schedule. There's a version of this called 40 bags in 40 days that people do for lent (that was the version of this i first found and followed the first time i did it), but you could do it in ten days, or a hundred, just try to stick to working on each segment on the day it's scheduled.

In each space, keep the stuff that's obviously meant to go there in that space, so if you're cleaning a desk drawer and it has a stapler in it, the stapler can stay there but if the staples and paper clips and rubber bands are a mess put that stuff into the "consider later" bin. Same thing with papers; if you've got a bunch of papers and you may need to keep some and may need to trash some, put them in the "consider later"

THERE IS AN OPTIONAL BIN FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HANG ON TO A MILLION MEMENTOS AND CONCERT TICKETS AND SUCH. I make them by getting gallon freezer bags and filling them up with business cards and concert programs and scraps of wrapping paper and birthday cards. This isn't quite "consider later" because it's probably stuff you know you want to keep, this is "I don't have a home for this thing right now but it's not trash" so this is a temporary home for that category.

Remove stuff from the space as you work. As you fill up a bag of trash or consider later or donate, take it out of the space so you aren't looking at it and you can see the progress you're making on the space.

Do each section as you come to it on your schedule and then call it quits. If you cleaned out the counter next to the sink and that was your area for the day, you don't have to worry about the area under the sink unless you have the energy and enthusiasm for it.

Philosophical musing about why this works

The reason this kind of plan works (for me) is by pre-managing several things. You know you're working with a limited area, you know what you're going to do with the stuff you find in that area (put it in one of your bags or leave it where it is if it belongs in that area), you're working on a limited time so this can't stretch out forever it's just a little chunk, you're thinking about the space as you build your plan so you're visualizing the anxiety inducing thing outside of the space that actually gives you the anxiety which hopefully allows you to detach slightly from the anxiety, and you're getting your steps lined up ahead of time so there's no muddle of "what do i do now, how do I get started" - you get started by grabbing your bags and you go to that day's scheduled section.

The whole thing is constructed to prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

I used to try to clean my room as a kid and I would find something that needed to get put away but I didn't know where it went so I'd spend a bunch of time trying to make a space for it and I'd end up getting lost in the weeds of imagining how I'd use the item and if the new place for it was accessible, and oh look at the items that I found in this other place where I was going to put this item and this method cuts off all of that. Where I am putting the item is in the bag, where it is going is the "consider later" pile and when I've cleared out most of the space I can consider where things go when I've gathered all the uncertain things into one place instead of continually unearthing them and disrupting the process of going through stuff.

What it means to Consider Later

The reason you're working room by room is because you should be isolating the consider later pile by room. If you're cleaning out the bedroom you may end up with stuff that belongs in the kitchen or the office, but you'll end up with a lot of stuff that belongs in the bedroom. When you've worked through all your segments, you can sort the consider later pile and now that you have all the objects together, you can consider whether some of them belong together in a space in the room.

For instance, when I first did this there were a lot of books that needed to go on bookshelves, but my bookshelves weren't accessible in the early parts of the process. So books from the floor and the bed and the nightstand went into the consider later pile and after the whole floor was clear and there was no trash on my desk and all the books I was donating had been pulled from my bookshelves, I was able to organize all of my books at once instead of stumbling across a book every four minutes and trying to shelve it.

That's what spawned the memento bags for me; there was a ton of stuff in my consider later bags that didn't precisely have a place but weren't trash and needed a place made for them. If I'd struggled to find where each item went as I cleaned it would have completely stalled me out.

I kept finding yarn as I went but I didn't have a dedicated yarn spot, so I just put yarn in the consider later pile and at the end I found a basket for it and put it on a shelf in the closet that had been cleared out when I'd donated old clothes. If I had tried to find a spot for the yarn before donating the clothes, I would have had to move it once the better spot opened up, so saving all the consider later stuff for later saved me from having to move stuff several times.

If you're in a small space or if you're living with people and you can't make a pile of stuff in another room for two weeks, at the very least remove the trash and donation bags as you go and designate an area for your consider later pile; maybe a laundry basket or something similar so that you can keep it mobile as you clean.

It's kind of like moving in to a new space. When you move in to an empty room, you have all your stuff in boxes and you need to figure out where it goes and that can take a while, but it's sometimes easier to find a place to put things in a new environment than it is to put things back "where they belong" because maybe you've added a dozen skeins to your collection and they don't belong in the little yarn bag anymore.

What to trash, what to donate, and what to consider later

Trash should be immediately obvious as trash. Anything that is trash goes in the trash bag right away.

If you find yourself thinking "but I might use this plastic fork that came with my value meal," or "this receipt may be important," put it in the consider later pile and don't think about it right now.

The donate bag should be for stuff that will still be useful for someone, but won't be useful for you. Clothes that you don't like, books you hated and won't re-read, toys you don't want to keep, all of that goes in the donate pile. If you think you might want to keep a piece of clothing but you want to make sure it doesn't fit, don't stop to try it on now just put it in the consider later pile and you can sort it into the donate bag later.

"Consider later" is for anything that requires more than thirty seconds of thought or effort to handle. If you're looking at your desk and you've got a keyboard for your computer on your desk that keyboard is staying there and doesn't need to be considered. If there's an empty takeout cup on your desk, that cup is going in the trash and doesn't need to be considered. If there's a receipt for your computer sitting on your desk, you may want to save that for record-keeping purposes but may not have a place to put it, so that is what you consider later.

Some guidelines on what is or is not trash

You might look at a sturdy plastic cup from a gas station and say "that isn't trash, I could use that, that's still good" but unless you have a specific purpose in mind for it right now, that is trash. If you wouldn't put it in a donation box to be used for some ambiguous future purpose, you don't need to keep it.

If you have a specific purpose in mind, like using an old milk jug to make a watering pitcher for your plants, it may not be trash. But only ONE is not trash; more than that is trash.

If you wouldn't need to have a hard copy of a paper and you have an electronic copy, it is trash. This means receipts for most everyday purchases like groceries and fast food. Don't keep receipts for items past their return period, don't keep receipts for items that you have a digital copy of unless that item cost over $1000.

Nice cardboard boxes (or good glass jars, or sturdy plastic takeout boxes, or cleaned food containers) that you don't have a use for are trash (or recycling, depending on where you live, but still in the trash category).

If you know someone who is specifically looking for an item (like maybe the neighbor kids are asking for cardboard tubes for a science project, or you work with a meal delivery group that could use extra packets of takeout utensils, or you have a friend who is into canning and has asked for jars, or if you make your own soup stock and need containers to put it in, or if you have a friend who is moving and needs lots of good cardboard boxes) then these items don't *have* to be trash but if you are just keeping them in your space and not giving them to people who want them or putting them to use yourself, they are just trash in your space and you should throw them away.

Memory Books/Memento Bags

I make memory books out of the little items i collect into one gallon storage bags. They allow me to hang onto the stuff that I want to keep because it brings me good memories without having a pile of random junk and sometimes without having to keep the item, or having to keep the whole item.

If the thing I want to keep because it brings me good memories is bulky, perhaps I can take a put a picture of that item to put in the book. If it is a worn out shirt, perhaps I can cut a patch off the shirt to put it in the book. If it is a card, perhaps I can cut out just the front of the card, or I can almost certainly just throw away the envelope and put the card in the book.

If you have things that do *not* fit into the memory book, like costume jewelry or rocks or a weird toy you got out of a coin machine on a really fun family vacation, you can also make a memory box; I have some of these and they've got a bunch of truly random crap in them, but I *like* having the nametag from the four hours that I worked at Denny's, or the keychain from when my mom took me to the morgue training class. It's fine to like these things, and to keep many of them, but you want to keep them someplace that they won't stress you out; that might be a display case for nice things, but it also might be a pretty velvet bag that you periodically pull out of a drawer and sort through like a magpie, or a wooden box that you painted.

You can also be selective about this stuff. You don't need every piece of costume jewelry your grandmother owned; keep the pieces you really like or the ones you have strong memories of or the ones that are very nice or the ones that are in good shape. But look, my mom was a teacher and she had a wide variety of goofy holiday jewelry that she wore in the classroom and I don't need to hang onto that. I don't need the big plastic ghost earrings that won't fit in my plugs, but I'll hang onto the spider brooch. She collected cheap watches - I don't need all of her four dollar watches, I can keep the nice ones, or the one that she got for ten years at her job. Do the same thing with stuffed animals and baby clothes and magazines and children's books. You don't need to keep all of it, and keeping all of it isn't going to help you remember that time more, or remember that person better.

Do you really want to keep it or do you feel obligated?

Youtuber Caroline Winkler (who has some great videos about home organization that I like a lot, in particular "this is why your home is a mess" - with the caveat that she likes closed storage and my ADHD ass loves open storage) has a really great tip on getting rid of stuff that works a LOT better for me than the Marie Kondo "Does this spark joy?" question and it's the Red Wine Test. Instead of asking if an item sparks joy, you ask yourself "If a bottle of red wine spilled on this (or if it was in some other way damaged) how hard would I try to fix it?" If you wouldn't try very hard, or if you would be *relieved* then you can get rid of that item. If one of the Venom mugs I have on the shelf fell down and broke, I wouldn't try hard to fix it. If my cat stuffed animal from when I was a kid tore open, I would immediately be looking for my sewing kit.

.... I should recycle those cheap teal glasses, actually.

Some general tips that may help to get you started that work for me and my ADHD and may work for you and your anxiety:

Start a timer for a short time. You don't have to clean your whole house, you are just going to pick up for five minutes. Then you can stop, and you only have to face a *little* bit of the anxiety.

5-4-3-2-1-go. Don't overthink it, count down quickly and then get up and do something. Keep going in as long a spurt as you can manage without getting too upset, but cutting down on the time for pre-game fretting might help with the anxiety.

Do the smallest amount possible. You don't have to clean this room, you just have to take one dish to the sink. You don't have to do all the dishes, you can just unload part of the top tray of the dishwasher.

Some general tips on trying to keep a space clean:

First, encouragement: It is a lot easier to maintain a clean space than it is to create one.

If you're thinking that something needs to be done and it can take you under five minutes to do it and it's right in front of you, do it. I do this with my dishwasher. It turns out unloading the dishwasher is the main thing that stalls me on dishes and keeps my sink full, so now when I'm waiting for the kettle or letting my tea steep, I unload whatever I can get done in that time. If I have the vacuum out and I did my living room but the hall and the bedroom could use a quick pass too, I vacuum them while I've got the machine in my hand.

Set success traps. Success traps are things that let you fall into succeeding by front-loading the effort (or executive function) of cleaning with planning. Trash collects in your living space? Put a bunch of little trash cans everywhere. Cleaning your bathroom takes extra time because you have to go get glass cleaner and paper towels from another room? Keep a bottle of glass cleaner and a roll of paper towels under the sink. You never sweep because it is a pain in the ass to get the broom out of the broom closet? Hang the broom from a mount in the kitchen. It takes too long to clean the counter because you have to pick up a bunch of makeup brushes and bottles and soap? Put that shit on a tray and now you only have to move one thing to clean the counter.

And for your specific question, with "things never seem to quite fit back where they came from" sounds like you're playing storage tetris, which is when things have a place and it is a *very specific and exact* place that doesn't have a lot of room around it. You may need to think about downsizing for your space, or, more likely, think about more efficient storage. That Caroline Winkler video I linked has some tips on this ("don't store things in a way that will make you angry like putting your common use objects on an out of reach shelf or you'll never put things back because it's hard to put them back" and "maximize your weirdo spaces" speak to your situation, i think) that I've put into use, particularly in my kitchen. It was hard to keep the counter clear because it was hard to put my stand mixer away because the rack for the stand mixer had a wok and a bunch of cast iron pans and a panini press and a chafing dish on it; I put the panini press and the least-used cast iron and the chafing dish and the wok in a more out-of-the way cabinet (because i basically never use them but they're very useful when I need them) and now that shelf has a little grill, my more commonly used cast iron, and my stand mixer so putting away the stand mixer is a lot less effort so my counter stays clear. I wasn't using the top shelf of my dish cabinet for dishes because it's too high up for daily use, but it's perfect for the rice cooker, waffle maker, and food processor that I use less than my dishes but more than my george forman grill.

And anyway, the TL;DR for all of that:

Work a little bit at a time, be nice to yourself, don't keep things that aren't worth keeping, and configure your storage in a way that works for you (by keeping your lifestyle, the way you use things, and how easy it is to put away into account before deciding that's where something lives).

Good luck!

[xxsabitoxx]

Pale Blue [2] No Context Teaser Suguru Edition

A/N: taking a little break from my finals just to share this cause I miss writing Pale Blue and physically cannot wait for this week to be over.

Pairing is Geto Suguru x Pregnant Reader

“She will be the last client for this year, please let any new potential clients know that I will not be able to meet with them until after the new year.” 

She nodded quickly before departing, leaving Suguru alone again as he reached for the paperwork he set down. “What a kind heart you have, papa Geto.” Suguru hadn’t even been able to read the next sentence, laughing softly at Mimiko’s comment. The brunette girl was kicking her feet, coloring intently beside her sister on the plush rug Suguru had put in just for them. “It’s important to help people in need, you know. She seemed like she could really use it.” He smiled fondly at the two sisters, listening to Nanako hum softly as she scribbled onto the page. 

“I guess you’re right.” 

“You guess I’m right?” 

Mimiko nodded, stopping her coloring to look up at Suguru behind his desk. “Yeah, I mean you really don’t need to help anyone. But you choose to do so even when you don’t have to. You have a kind heart, papa Geto.” The small girl repeated her initial statement, smiling softly as Suguru’s expression morphed into one of genuine surprise. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, watching her small head turn back to the paper she was drawing on, starting to hum along with the tune Nanako had set. Suguru sat there, wondering how a child could think of such things. 

He saw himself as anything but kind-hearted at this point in his life. But still, he didn’t have the heart to say those things, especially not to a six year old. Suguru had barely reached for his paperwork again when your face crossed his mind, making him freeze once more. You had been a constant thought in his mind since the day he left. Not even an hour had gone by where you didn’t consume his thoughts, knocking the air from his lungs and paralyzing him for a moment. He missed you. Fuck he missed you terribly and it was enough to render him utterly immobile at points. 

Slowly, he forced air back in his lungs, your smile leaving a permanent mark engraved in his mind. He didn’t regret anything he did up until this point, well maybe except for one particular thing. He didn’t take you with him the day he left. He knew he loved you too much to force you into this kind of life, he needed it to be a choice you made out of your own free will. Something cheesy about loving someone meant setting them free when the time came had crossed his mind when leaving you that letter. Leaving it on the bed he once called his own, so long as you were in it, it was his. 

But still, the choice to leave it all up to your own free will did nothing to fill the void beside him each night. How desperately he wished you were laying beside him, curled perfectly into his embrace, face snuggled into the crook of his neck. Your natural musk mixing with your perfume, your hair tickling his hands as he held you tight, your chest rising and falling evenly as you slept. He ached to hold you again, finding it hard to fall asleep each night in your absence. But he had made this choice, he had to own it, even if that meant you weren’t a part of his life right now. 

“But he knew, deep down, that it was only temporary; you'd come back to him.”

[tyttamarzh]

Midnight Ramblings about Missa (Or "character analysis focused on his seeking approval and how this influences his self-perception and in his performance") (Or "My boy just needs confidence and time to show how chingón he is.")

I have a thought… okay, okay, yes, Missa is a wet cat and he can't escape of that… but I think everyone underrate the ability of him for learn and improve…

When all came to the island, no one have nothing and everyone seems at the same level in general. For Missa was hard, but he adapted to life, he build a house, had an armor, went to mines and dungeons with his friends and even when others helped him, he always tried to make it on his own and search his own purpose. Everyday he gain more expierence and confidence and lost the fear to go out alone, he could fight for himself, he could survive. Then, when everyone was paired up to take care of the eggs and he met Phil, he tried his best for being useful, for help him.

He always does that, but this time he had just met him and he wanted to do his best to make a good impression on this new person in his life.

He had already done it before, that has a context, when he met the "Team Vacio Legal" (and was adopted), at first he was not considered part of the team, they treated him like an assistant, they called him his pet and they even told him that they would use him as bait, but Missa was so grateful to be with them, that he accepted all their orders willingly and strove to do the best for them (They were not just any team, it was the one that was considered the strongest and favorite to win, in fact, the winner was a member of this team). I remember that they ordered him to build a temporary house if he wanted to stay and at that moment he began to build non-stop, and he was doing it very fast, he was very concentrated on it, then Rubius, to annoy him, stand right where he was going to put a block and Missa stood paralyzed, neither of them said anything for a few seconds, until Missa, quite anxious, said: " Please, please, I'm just trying to do a good job…" and at that Rubius gave up the idea of joking with him and simply looked at him and said "You're doing very well" and moved, to which Missa He laughed and continued working until he finished. His dedication made everyone quickly become attached to him and at some point the line between being everyone's servant and being everyone's protected faded (even the 4 of them risked their lives to go save Missa's dog from acid rain), he went from not being considered part of the team to being the most loved by all of them, so much so that his death devastated them and they continued using his name as a banner until the end (ohh I really loved Extremo, sorry xD).

Even if Missa knows that he is not good at many things, he gives everything, he strives, learns and grows, to continue giving everything for those he loves, that is how he died in Extremo, helping Quackity (although Quackity did not even realize until later).

The point is, being with Phil, he helped in any way he could, he fought against the phantoms so that Phil could continue working and in fact he must have felt very good when the mission was "sing a song to the baby" because finally one of his abilities It would be necessary and useful.

Phil never had a problem with Missa in Chayanne's care. Missa was constantly striving to be competent and they didn't really spend enough time together for Phil to realize what Missa's level really was. The problem began when he was gone for so long, because everyone's level increased at the same time as the difficulty of the world, which made Missa's lack of experience very evident. And it wasn't just because he was poor and didn't have the resources to defend himself, as Phil thought at first, Missa missed out on a lot of growth and learning about Minecraft that he could have had if he had stayed on the server. Though he tries now, he doesn't He manages to cope with the current world, which made him tremendously insecure about his abilities, which is why on many occasions he no longer try and just lets himself die. Making it very obvious to everyone, even Phil, that he can't survive alone, since he's just a little wet cat.

There is something that I miss a lot about the dynamic he had with Spreen, you see, I know that many who watch QSMP did not know what their relationship was like and do not know why he is so important to Missa, but it is because Spreen never doubted Missa's abilities, even when no one, not even Missa, trusted his abilities, Spreen always trusted, he once bet on a fight that Missa had, even when Missa said she had no idea about PVP, he bet on him and to everyone's amazement, won and was like "I knew you could." Missa always tried hard to do things and get praise from Spreen, he saw him as a father he wanted to make proud and he jumped with happiness like a child when he achieved it and that's how he grew up a lot (Having the player who is considered one of the best treat you that way and praise you must be an incredible feeling).

Losing his brother not only affected him emotionally, it affected him in the sense that he lost that and that's why his self-confidence went down the drain, because when he fails he no longer hears the "calm down, you'll make it next time, champion" now he listens "Be careful, it's dangerous" "Stay away" and he is simply saved and protected by others.

I'm not saying that Phil is wrong to help him, but that made him somewhat dependent and added to his frustration at not being able to face the world alone, it made him feel like a burden to everyone (the fact that he doesn't log on doesn't help him). Somehow that made him have a kind of regression and he went back to being the fearful boy who needs to be taken care of, it's not even like in the early days of QSMP, it's like in the early days of Extremo, considering himself completely useless and stupid, struggling to try to do things right and receive some approval, but getting frustrated at not achieving it (which is why what Tina did in purgatory helped him a lot "Tina, better therapist than Melissa" xD).

Now… let's go to the present, because I saw something very different in Missa the last time. What happened in purgatory perhaps gave him more growth than we thought, not only on an emotional level by helping him decide to stay with Phil despite not feeling enough, but on a personal level. He said to Chayanne he had been working to be a better person (better player) and wanted to show what he had learned (now seeking Chayanne's approval), somehow he found that motivation again to grow and not just lamenting his situation (that implies that CC Missa he was really practicing. My friends, he didn't even do that for the squid games, he finished installing Minecraft and jumped into the water), that gives me hope that this time he is serious about stay and if he has enough time and if this time he really delivers with his promise to log on more we could see him grow and bring out his full potential (in Extremo 2 he was doing a great job until he died suddenly and became fearful again, in purgatory he was doing things well until he realized he had the wrong missions and felt sad and useless… he can do great, his ruin it is that he sabotages himself by his lack of confidence).

Possibly he will never stop being a wet cat, that is tattooed in his character, but I think that is precisely why everyone tends to underestimate him. I am sure that one day my boy is going to give everyone a big surprise… I believe!

I think my little late night thought turned into an analysis and then a Tesis, sorry about that… I hope someone finds my ramblings entertaining…

Thank you for reading!

[thegreatwicked]

FicRecs

Enjoy some of my favorite stories I've come across on Tumblr! Seriously, I LOVE these stories and I reread them A LOT!

Please note: Virtually ALL OF THESE STORIES ARE SMUT. That means 18+ content, and you are responsible for managing your internet consumption. Minors DNI.

FicRecs

DC Comics

Dance for Daddy by @matth1w LAWD. I love me some Roman Sionis fics and this one DELIVERS. Sexy, kinky, smutty I give it a solid Chefs Kiss.

Joy Ride and Let Me Make You Feel Good, The Intern by @littleredwing89 More delicious Roman Sionis one shots Joy ride is about teasing Roman as he drives and Let Me Make You Feel Good is about a sweet smutty cure for a hangover. And the Intern, a fuck buddies to lovers story, god yum. Reader inserts. Drool. Go forth read and enjoy.

Bait the Beast by @more-cardigan-than-womanLord help me, I found a new little gem. You cause a bit of a ruckus with Coblepot and Roman thinks you need a lesson.

Yours by @tarrenterror25set in the AO! Verse Roman is having some trouble during the holidays overcoming everything the Joker did to him, good thing he has you. Because he does. You're his now. Melt. Sorry about the mess.

Star Wars

Water and Rock by @split-spectrum I honestly cannot say enough good things about this story It follows Obi-wan/Fem Reader in the classic Master/Padawan troupe and it. is. SPICY. Up to twelve chapters which I have read MULTIPLE TIMES and it hits so hard. Go read this story it is sexy as HELL and gives you the feels. She's so damn good at writing Obi-Wan it hurts, but like in a kinky good way.

The Gift by @ladyinwriting18 I have already spoke at length about the fabulousness that is Lady in Writing and her amazing content. This one is a favorite! Its a Maul/Reader Insert and it is smutty sxy and kinky. Seriously if Maul is your fictional crush (Hi me too!), go read this.

The Three Princes Part One: The Oldest Profession by @thenightmarketofdathomir This writer is freaking legendary. I do not know the collection of words in my own language to describe the eloquence and sophistication this writer possesses. Just go. Go read this and you let me know if you're ever the same again. This gem stars our boy Feral and is a you/reader insert. Oh damn, this story makes me want things...

Birthday Wish, Romancing the Pages, The Write Seduction, To Create Life, by @jedianjakenobi Y'all, this author holds a special place in my writer's heart. She's a published author on Amazon and she's truly amazing. Her works are all Obi-Wan-centered and reader inserts. Birthday Wish is a birthday crush from your sexy neighbor, Romancing the Pages is a fake relationship/summer romance with a reclusive shy librarian (Ben) and a best-selling author, The Write Seduction is a professor Kenobi/writing student story and it is SPICY. And my favorite To Create Life is a Jedi Council green lights a baby-making program and who else is the reader paired with? Their good friend Padawan Kenobi. My darlings, my friends, if you like Obi-Wan smut then you are doing yourselves a disservice by NOT reading these.

Empty Me Out by @221bshrlocked reader insert/DOM Obi-Wan I'm tellin y'all this story NEARLY killed me. I've lost track of how many times I've readit. You're an entertainer and Master Kenobi needs information from you, so you give him what he wants and then he gives you what you want. Where it Wasn't massage therapy reader insert/Obi-Wan, do I need to say more? Pretty sure I melted into the floor with this one.

His Loving Satine by @waterlily707 I love reader insterT and OCs but these two Obi-Wan and Satine are a joy to read. Temporary paralyzed Obi-Wan at the "mercy" of a slightly dom Satine. Juicy, gorgeous, little bit of fluff. Love it.

Room 24 by @murdockussy Little angsty Obi-Wan/reader insert enemies to lovers in an undercover assignment-type situation. Spicy, dom Obi-Wan give. Me. More.

Tea with Lemon, Tea with Honey by @wickedscribbles an established relationship as a reader insert and Obi-Wan. If you want honey then you get to take care of a sick Obi-Wan and kind out you have a new kink, if you want Lemon then Obi-Wan takes advantage of said kink and whisks you away to another planet for some R&R under the guise of "work." Enjoy!

Actors/Characters

Ben Hardy

Hold Me Close, Don't Let Me Go by @stray-kaz God. This one shot is just sxy as hell, it's a Billy/Four fro, 6 Underground/Female Reader. Our boy comes home to one hell of an 'I missed you, I need you right now' welcome. GO read it. Right now.

Such an Experience by @rogermyreligionOk. Guys... FUCK, this is a hot little oneshot Roger Taylor of Queen/Female reader and OMG. Just go read it. I've officially stopped counting how many times I've read this. Smutty/Sexy. I'm dead.

Long Distance by @acciotwinzwinz. Y'ALL. Sit your asses down and read this Roger Taylor/Reader insert/You. It's fluffy, its sexy, its cute and the smut is -chefs kiss- Yes, I read this one a lot too.

For now, these are some of my favorites that I frequently reread because I love them. I'll probably be adding more, it's more than likely I've forgotten some...

[pathfinderunlocked]

Healthy Boss Template (CR +3)

Wait, why did a giant health bar just appear in the sky?

Artwork by Jeff_Chee_471 on Reddit.

D&D and Pathfinder have a really unusual idea of what a "boss" is compared to, like, any video game ever made. They often tend to just take an enemy that would be part of a group of normal enemies if you were about six levels higher. When they do something more unique, it still tends to be balanced like that. Tons of offense, not that many hit points, but often extremely hard to hit. Adventure designers often try to make up for this design by making a boss weaker but giving it minions, but that doesn't change the fact that there's really no concept of a creature that's inherently a "boss creature" in this game.

And sometimes that's fine. But sometimes you just want a big chunky fight that's balanced more like how a video game boss is balanced: only a little more damage than other creatures, but way more health, and the ability to recover if you do nasty stuff like stun it. Something that lets the players go all-out using their abilities, and rewards them for doing so, instead of having to spend most of the fight just focusing on not getting attacked, because they know one attack can take them out.

This template isn't a global solution. It'll get old, and if you reuse it too much, players will find strategies that bypass it. That's why I design so many different boss monsters that each work differently. But if you want to convert an existing monster into a boss, this is one way to do so without a lot of effort, and without just giving it the advanced template and several fighter levels to max out its offense.

Some of the options for different abilities are there to deal with different kinds of player strategies, rather than because they're appropriate for different kinds of bosses. If your PCs use vital strike, give it vital negation. If they use combat maneuvers, give it reset stance. If they cast a bunch of spells on the terrain, give it undo. If they rely on hungry pit, give it escape to nowhere. Don't feel bad about using this template specifically to counter them, since the inflated HP and the limited uses of these special abilities mean that the players' strategies will still be useful, they just won't instantly win the fight.

Healthy Boss

Healthy boss is an inherited template that can be applied to any creature.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature + 3.

Hit Points: A healthy boss's hit points are three times as high as the base creature's.

Initiative: A healthy boss gains a +10 bonus to its initiative.

Defensive Abilities: A healthy boss can never be surprised, and is not considered flat-footed before it has acted in combat.

Special Abilities: A healthy boss gains 1 of the following special abilities:

Bolstering Cry (Ex) Twice per day as a move action, a healthy boss can grant all allies within 60 ft. a number of temporary hit points equal to its new challenge rating. When it does so, it also suppresses the following conditions on affected allies other than itself for 1 round: blinded, confused, entangled, fatigued, exhausted, nauseated, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, staggered, stunned. The healthy boss does not need line of effect to these allies, but they must be able to either see or hear it. Second Wind (Ex) Five times per day as a free action at the start of its turn, a healthy boss can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to its new challenge rating. These temporary hit points last for 10 minutes. It can only use this ability only once per round. Vital Negation (Ex) Once per round, a healthy boss can halve the damage of a single incoming source of damage. It can choose to use this ability after hearing the amount of damage that it would take. This does not require an action.

Additionally, a healthy boss gains 2 of the following other special abilities:

Aura of Recovery (Su) The healthy boss gains a 40-ft. aura. At the end of each of the healthy boss's turns, one of the healthy boss's allies within this aura (including itself) gains a new saving throw against any one ongoing harmful effect that initially allowed for a saving throw. Escape to Nowhere (Su) Once per day, at the end of an enemy's turn, a healthy boss can escape to the ethereal plane, as if using ethereal jaunt. This does not require an action. It remains in the ethereal plane during its next turn. At the start of its second turn after using this ability, the healthy boss returns to the plane it was on, but is staggered during that turn. Legendary Resistance (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss fails a saving throw, or when an enemy succeeds on a check against the healthy boss's spell resistance, the healthy boss can expend its legendary resistance to treat the roll as if the healthy boss had succeeded on the saving throw or the enemy had failed on the check against spell resistance. A healthy boss with a total challenge rating of at least 9 gains a second use of Legendary Resistance per day, and a healthy boss with a total challenge rating of at least 18 gains a third use of legendary resistance per day. This does not require an action. Reset Concentration (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss fails a concentration check, it can steel its mind against future distractions, gaining a +10 bonus on concentration checks for the next 10 minutes. This does not require an action. Reset Stance (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss starts its turn prone or grappled, at the start of its next turn after being successfully subjected to a combat maneuver other than trip or grapple, it can spend a move action to stand up, free itself from any grapples, pick up a single item within its reach, end the effect of a dirty trick maneuver, and move up to its move speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. Upon using this ability, the healthy boss also gains a +5 bonus to its CMD and a +10 bonus to Acrobatics, Climb, Ride, Swim, and Fly checks for the next 10 minutes. Undo (Su) As a standard action, once every 3 rounds, a healthy boss can revert the effects of any number of ongoing or instantaneous magic spells that are affecting itself, other creatures, or the surrounding environment. Each spell effect it attempts to undo must be within 60 ft. of the healthy boss, and must have been applied during the last 10 minutes. Even instantaneous spells can be reverted with Undo, but damage is not reverted. To attempt to undo a spell, a healthy boss makes a caster level check against a DC of 6 + the effect's caster level, using its hit dice as its caster level. If successful, the ongoing spell ends, or the effects of the instantaneous spell are reverted.

[help-me-im-in-the-fandom]

Okay, so with all the ATLA stuff going on with the disgraceful live action series, I have been inspired so here is an idea.

When the Convergence happens and the Spirit World is thrown into a mess, a small slum district of Republic City is caught in the crossfire.

Gotham District is suddenly displaced into a new world, about early 1800’s maybe?

So starts the City of Gotham, born in a flash of light into a deep swamp across the bay from the City of Metropolis. The people quickly work to hide themselves in this new world, and the few earthbenders that were among them were able to move what buildings they had into the large cave system beneath the surface as they set up temporary shelters, very aware that the bustling people across the bay could see them.

The Metropolis people who did come to check on what was going on assumed the newly built area to be made my the miscreant and lawless population of their city, and the Gothamites, scornfully, allowed the misconception to stand.

They hide the few member of their community who can bend away after one awful day where a young earth bender girl was accused of witchcraft and almost burned at the stake while joining a company of people searching for supplies. A rule is made then, that no one would ever bend above the surface, and no one would ever speak of benders either.

Fast forward a few centuries, and one night Bruce Wayne watches his parents get murdered, and decides on two things.

1) To never allow another person to be orphaned on his watch.

So starts Batman, the protector of Gotham on the Surface.

2) To make sure no one was so in need that they had to commit crimes in order to survive.

So starts a series of bending schools and food banks in the Underground, the Sacred part of Gotham that no blood should ever be shed in. All of which are funded by Bruce Wayne the skilled Earthbender.

When Bruce begins to find himself taking in children, he finds out that all of them are benders themselves, and is excited to teach them bending himself. Though he does enforce one rule, to never bend in costume.

Okay now onto what I think the Batfam would be as Benders! This is my own opinion you don’t have to agree, just don’t be rude in comments!

Alfred:

Alfred is a waterbender, kind and soothing but never destroyed and always there. He is the lifeblood of the family, even though he hides behind the title of a Butler he is really everyone’s grandfather/father.

Bruce:

Bruce is an earthbender, results and determined, never moving and unbreakable. He has devoted himself to his beliefs and to his family, and nothing will ever change that.

Dick:

I think Dick would be a Firebender, while Airbender would be an easy answer, it doesn’t really suit him. Dick has a mean streak and donned the Robin suit in order to commit literal murder, he almost killed Joker, and he fights with Bruce constantly. He is a smoldering flame that will burn bright and hot but keep you warm on even the coldest of nights, he has so much love and affection and to me, he just embodies the character of a firebender, like Uncle Iroh.

Babs:

I think Babs would be a fire bender, similar to what is said above with Dick, but also the fact is, she chose to become a vigilante herself, she chose to fight and protect despite not having anyone to support her at first. When she was paralyzed she still fought, she still does everything she can to protect her friends and family.

Jason:

Jason embodies the Earth, calm and strong and unmoving. Each decision he makes is with reason and choice, and he is confident and willful but also soft when needed. When Jason is revived and filled with anger it shakes his foundations and his morals are shattered, but he reigns destruction like a landslide, devastating and all consuming and utterly unstoppable. Perhaps as he heals he learns to Lavabend, to put the anger and hurt and pain to control and tame the destructive force.

Cass:

Cass is a waterbender, she is used to moving with the tides and rolling with the punches, she is calm and consistent, but also powerful and strong. She can heal just as much as she can hurt, and be beautiful and powerful at the same time.

Steph:

Steph is an airbender, she is carefree and playful and doesn’t need physical things to be happy. She can never sit in one place to long, she wants to know everything and meet every one. She is kind but not merciful, and when she is angered she is as powerful as a tornado and just as destructive.

Tim:

Tim is an earthbender, he is headstrong and willfully stubborn, he has devoted his entire being to his beliefs and cannot be persuaded away.

Duke:

Duke is an airbender, though his meta gene may affect the power he can use. He is calm and straightforward, but dances with the blows life gives him and learns to adapt.

Damian:

Damian I think is a waterbender, he is strong and powerful like the sea, ever changing and never the same. The sea can be calm and merciful or harsh and deadly, and I think that embodies what Damian can be. He can also learn to be kind, to be gentle and loving and oh so very careful. Perhaps part of his recovering is learning how to heal, to use his powers to help instead of harm.

So! That’s it! If anyone has anything to add or if this inspires any fics, pls add them!

Also, here have a drawing I made while thinking about this!

[shewasverynice]

Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)  MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Rating: Explicit 

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Content Warnings: Dubious Consent, Prostitution, Drug Use, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Violence

Categories: F/M, Multi, F/F 

Relationships: Gojo Satoru/Original Female Character(s), Nanami Kento/Original Female Character(s), Getou Suguru/Original Female Character(s), Ieiri Shoko & Iori Utahime 

Major Characters: Original Characters, Gojo Satoru, Getou Suguru, Nanami Kento, Okkotsu Yuuta, Toudou Aoi, Zenin Naobito, Zenin Jinichi, Zenin, Zenin Ougi, Fushiguro Megumi, Kamo Clan, Nitta Akari, Inumaki Toge, Ieiri Shoko, Iori Utahime, Kusakabe Atsuya, Muta Kokichi, Itadori Yuuji, Hakari Kinji

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Chaper 16　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

The gang war continued to escalate, ripping through the city like wildfire. The once-bustling streets of Tokyo now bore the marks of battle, with shattered storefronts, burnt-out cars, and bloodstains serving as grim reminders of the ongoing violence.

One night, a group of Zen'in loyalists stormed a small business district near Shibuya. The street, once known for its quaint cafes and boutique shops, was now a battleground. The Zen'in group, armed with weapons and their cursed techniques, tore through the area, leaving destruction in their wake. Shopkeepers, desperate to protect their livelihoods, tried to fight back but were quickly overwhelmed. The district was left in ruins, and the once-vibrant community was now a ghost town.

In another part of the city, a park that had been a sanctuary for families became the site of a bloody confrontation. Yaga's group had set up a temporary base there, hoping to keep a low profile, but the Zen'in found them. The fight that followed was brutal. Children who had been playing nearby were hurried away by their parents as the two groups clashed. The park's greenery was trampled, and the once peaceful pond was tainted with blood. By the time the fight ended, the park was unrecognizable.

The police, overwhelmed and fearful of the sorcerers, had effectively cloistered themselves in their stations. Barricades were erected around precincts, and officers refused to respond to calls involving the gangs. Citizens, left without protection, were forced to fend for themselves. The lawlessness emboldened the gangs, leading to more brazen acts of violence. The city's government was paralyzed, unable to restore order as the war raged on.

At Tenjiku, tensions were boiling over. The once-neutral ground was now a powder keg, with rival groups barely keeping themselves in check. The atmosphere inside was thick with hostility as a table of Zen'in sat across from a table of Yaga's men. The two groups exchanged dark glares, the air between them crackling with unspoken threats.

Rin and Boe, sitting at the bar, kept a close eye on the situation. Rin’s usually composed demeanor was strained, her fingers drumming anxiously on the counter. Boe, despite her laid-back attitude, was on edge, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two tables. They both knew it wouldn't take much to ignite the tension into full-blown violence.

The Zen'in group, led by an older man with a scar running down his face, muttered amongst themselves, their voices low but laced with malice. One of Yaga's men, a tall, broad-shouldered sorcerer, finally snapped, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "What are you looking at, Zen'in scum?"

The scarred man smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Just wondering when you Yaga dogs will finally roll over and die," he said with a dry chuckle.

The insult hung in the air for a moment, a sharp, piercing sound in the heavy silence. It was all it took. The tall sorcerer shot to his feet, knocking his chair back with a loud clatter. The Zen'in followed suit, and in the blink of an eye, the tables were overturned, and the two groups lunged at each other.

The bar erupted into chaos. Chairs and tables were smashed, glasses shattered, and the once-peaceful atmosphere of Tenjiku was replaced by the sounds of a brawl. Rin and Boe rushed forward, trying to intervene, but it was too late. The delicate peace they had fought to maintain was shattered. As the fighting spread through Tenjiku, it was clear that the gang war had reached a new, more dangerous level.

The air filled with the sounds of crashing furniture, shattering glass, and the cries of people caught in the melee. Rin felt her pulse quicken, a familiar, primal rage bubbling up from deep within her. It clawed at her insides, demanding release. Her usually calm demeanor was stripped away, replaced by something feral, wild, and dangerous.

Her claws extended, sharp and deadly, glinting in the dim light of the bar. Her teeth elongated into razor-sharp fangs, and her eyes narrowed, pupils dilating as she zeroed in on her targets. The transformation was instantaneous, a stark contrast to the composed and dignified woman she normally was. Now, she was a predator, and the gang members were her prey.

Rin wasted no time. She surged forward with terrifying speed, her long hair whipping around her like a living weapon. A thug lunged at her with a broken bottle, but before he could strike, Rin's hair shot out, wrapping around his arm like a vise. With a sharp yank, she pulled him off balance and drove her claws into his side, tearing through flesh and bone with a savage precision. He screamed in pain, the sound cut short as she slammed him to the ground, leaving him writhing and gasping for air.

Another man tried to attack a fleeing woman, but Rin was faster. She leaped at him, her claws slashing across his chest in a blur of motion. Blood sprayed into the air as she landed on top of him, her teeth sinking into his shoulder. He cried out, struggling to push her off, but she was relentless, her rage fueling every vicious strike. She was no longer the serene, composed Rin; she was a force of nature, unstoppable and unforgiving.

As she fought, Rin's focus remained sharp. She targeted anyone who dared to harm the women trying to escape, using her hair to ensnare them and her claws to finish the job. A third thug, thinking he could sneak up on her, found himself caught in a web of her hair, his arms pinned to his sides. Rin's lips curled into a snarl as she closed in on him, her claws slashing across his throat in one swift, lethal motion. He dropped to the floor, lifeless, and she turned her attention to the next threat without hesitation.

Boe, meanwhile, moved with deadly grace through the chaos. Her blood, now transformed into sharp, gleaming knives, whirled around her in a flurry of red. With each flick of her wrist, a new blade formed, ready to strike. She leaped onto a table, her body twisting as she hurled a knife into the chest of a Zen'in thug trying to corner a young woman. The blade sank deep, and the man crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest.

Boe's movements were almost dance-like, her agility and speed allowing her to evade attacks with ease. She slid under a swinging bat, her foot kicking out to trip the attacker, and as he stumbled, she drove a blood-formed knife into his back, twisting it for good measure. He fell with a grunt, and Boe was already moving on, her eyes scanning for the next threat.

At one point, she saw a man grab a woman by the hair, dragging her toward the exit. Boe's eyes narrowed, and with a powerful leap, she closed the distance between them. She landed in front of him, her hand slicing through the air as she sent a knife directly into his throat. His grip slackened as blood poured from the wound, and the woman was able to escape, her eyes wide with terror.

Just as the fight reached its fever pitch, Okkotsu and Todo burst into the room, their presence commanding immediate attention. Todo, his massive frame imposing, roared as he charged into the fray, his fists a blur of motion. He smashed through the gang members with brute strength, sending them flying with each punch. A Zen'in tried to tackle him, but Todo simply grabbed him by the collar and hurled him across the room, where he crashed into a wall and crumpled to the floor.

Okkotsu followed close behind, his cursed energy flaring around him as he summoned Rika. The cursed spirit materialized with a roar, her massive form dwarfing the room. Her single eye glowed with a fierce intensity, and she lashed out at the gang members, scattering them like leaves in a storm. Yuta moved with purpose, his sword cutting through anyone who dared to stand in his way. He fought with a calm precision, each strike measured and efficient, yet there was an underlying fury in his movements.

The combined force of Rin, Boe, Todo, and Okkotsu was unstoppable. The gang members, realizing they were outmatched, began to retreat, scrambling to escape the deadly onslaught. Todo chased them to the door, slamming it shut with a final, echoing thud that reverberated through the now-silent room.

The aftermath was a scene of destruction. Broken furniture, shattered glass, and bloodied bodies littered the floor. The women who had been caught in the crossfire huddled together, their eyes wide with shock and fear. Rin stood in the center of the room, her chest heaving as she tried to calm the storm within her. Her claws and teeth slowly retracted, and her hair returned to its normal length, but the wild look in her eyes remained.

Boe, her knives dissolving back into blood, looked around the room with a grim expression. She wiped a smear of blood from her cheek, her usual nonchalance replaced by a rare seriousness.

Okkotsu approached Rin, his eyes softening as he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, though he already knew the answer.

Rika, still present in the room, let out a soft whimper, her single eye filled with tears. She was a reflection of Yuta’s emotions, her sorrow mirroring his own.

Rin nodded, though the tension in her body betrayed the turmoil she felt. She didn’t trust her voice to speak, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She had fought with ferocity, driven by the need to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. But now, in the aftermath, she felt the weight of what she had done, the blood on her hands a stark reminder of the price they were all paying.

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

The aftermath of the battle left the streets in a grim state of desolation. Blood stained the pavement, and the bodies of fallen men lay strewn across the road like discarded dolls. Toji Zen’in walked through the scene, his steps unhurried, each stride a casual indifference to the death surrounding him. His cold eyes scanned the wreckage, and with a sharp kick, he flipped over a corpse blocking his path. The man’s chest bore a pack of cigarettes, which Toji deftly swiped. He pulled one out, placing it between his lips, and lit it with a practiced flick of his lighter. Smoke curled from his mouth as he exhaled, the tendrils weaving through the air like the ghosts of the men who lay dead at his feet.

With his hands shoved into his pockets, Toji continued down the street, the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. His expression was one of cool disinterest, as though the violence and death that had unfolded here meant nothing to him. And in truth, they didn’t. This was just another day in the life of Toji Zen’in.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and with a slow, almost lazy movement, he pulled it out. The screen illuminated his face in the dim light, and he glanced at the message. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he muttered under his breath, “Dumb brat.” Without a second thought, he turned on his heel and began heading in the opposite direction.

The streets were quiet as he walked, the only sound being the distant echo of sirens that never seemed to get closer. The city was tearing itself apart in this gang war, and Toji was content to let it happen. He thrived in the chaos, using it to his advantage. But as he rounded the corner near his destination, something caught his attention.

He stopped, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a figure standing up from the wall. A smirk played on the lips of the young man as he stepped into the dim light of a nearby street lamp.

Hakari.

Toji’s grin widened as he approached, his confidence unshaken by the obvious trap. “You’ve got guts, kid,” Toji drawled, his voice a low, menacing rumble, “But I had a feeling this was bullshit. Megumi never texts me. So getting one from my ‘son’… well, I knew it was too good to be true.” He cracked his neck, the sound sharp in the night air, and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light. “I hope you had a good life," he huffed, "Because it’s about to end.”

Hakari’s smirk didn’t falter, though a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. “We’ll see about that, old man," he said, barely keeping his voice in check.

From the shadows behind Hakari, another figure emerged, hesitantly stepping into view. Inumaki’s eyes were wide with fear, his usually composed demeanor shaken. The younger sorcerer’s voice trembled as he called out, “Hakari, I don’t—”

Toji moved instantly, his hand a blur as he lunged forward. But before he could strike, Inumaki’s eyes flashed, and his voice rang out, filled with the power of his cursed technique. “Stop!”

Toji’s body froze mid-strike, his muscles locking up against his will. He was immobilized, caught in the snare of Inumaki’s command. His mind raged against the invisible bonds holding him, but his body refused to move.

Hakari didn’t waste the opportunity. With a swift, brutal motion, he pulled out a hammer, the claw on the end gleaming wickedly in the light. He stepped forward, his breath coming in harsh, ragged pants as he raised the hammer high. Toji’s eyes widened slightly, the only part of him able to express the shock of the moment.

And then Hakari brought the hammer down.

The sharpened claw plunged into Toji’s skull with a sickening crunch, driving deep into bone. Blood spattered across Hakari’s face and clothes, but he didn’t flinch. He drove the hammer down again, and again, the force of each blow fueled by a mix of rage, fear, and something darker—satisfaction.

Toji’s body twitched violently, then went still, his eyes staring blankly ahead. Hakari let out a shuddering breath, the hammer slipping from his grasp as it clattered to the ground. He stared down at Toji’s lifeless body, his shoulders heaving as a strange, manic laughter bubbled up from his chest. He nudged Toji’s body with his foot, as if to confirm he was truly dead.

Inumaki stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock and horror. His hands trembled as he slowly registered what had just happened. “What have you done…?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Hakari’s laughter died in his throat as Inumaki’s cursed technique compelled him to answer. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion as he spoke the truth. “I killed Toji Zen’in.” A slow, twisted grin spread across his face as he said the words, a strange satisfaction settling over him.

But Inumaki wasn’t satisfied. He wasn’t even relieved. He was terrified. His eyes darted between Hakari and Toji’s body, his mind racing as the reality of their situation set in. The blood on Hakari’s hands wasn’t just physical—it was a mark that would stain them both, a line that had been crossed and could never be uncrossed.

Hakari’s laughter echoed once more in the silent street, but this time, it was tinged with a madness that sent a chill down Inumaki’s spine. The younger sorcerer recoiled as Hakari reached out to shake him, his grip too tight, too desperate.

“What have you done…?” Inumaki repeated, his voice trembling as he stared into Hakari’s eyes, searching for any sign of the friend he once knew.

But all he found was a killer’s grin and a pair of eyes that had seen too much bloodshed to ever be the same again.

"I killed Toji Zen'in."

Later, Itadori's room was dimly lit, the air thick with tension as Inumaki sat hunched over on the edge of the bed, his hands trembling. His face was pale, a stark contrast to the dark hoodie he had worn earlier—now stained with blood. Itadori crouched beside him, unsure of how to bridge the chasm of fear and guilt that hung between them. He could see the nausea in Inumaki’s expression, the way his lips trembled and his eyes seemed unfocused, lost somewhere far away from the present moment.

Inumaki’s voice was a shaky whisper, barely audible in the oppressive silence. “I shouldn’t have trusted him…" he mumbled, "I shouldn’t have…”

Itadori nodded slowly, feeling the weight of Inumaki’s regret settle in his own chest. “Yeah… I know," was all that he said. He wanted to say more, to find some way to comfort his friend, but the words died in his throat. What was there to say? That he should’ve seen it coming? That they all should have? The reality of what Hakari had done—the way he had used Inumaki, manipulated him into becoming an accomplice in something so dark—was too heavy, too painful to articulate.

The door creaked open, and Panda’s large frame filled the doorway. His usual jovial demeanor was absent, replaced by a serious, almost grim expression. “Nanami’s coming to do a room check,” he announced, his voice low but urgent.

Inumaki jerked upright, panic flashing in his purple eyes. He ripped off the bloodstained hoodie, his hands fumbling as he threw it to Itadori. The younger sorcerer quickly stuffed it under the bed, heart pounding in his chest as they both tried to compose themselves.

Just as they finished, the door swung open wider, and Nanami stepped inside. His presence filled the room with an authority that demanded attention. He took one look at Inumaki and frowned, his stern gaze narrowing. “Inumaki, you should be in your own room,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Inumaki swallowed hard, his throat tight, and nodded. Without another word, he slipped past Nanami and out into the hallway, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Nanami’s attention then shifted to Itadori, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing. “Where’s Hakari?” he asked, his voice measured and calm, but with an underlying urgency.

Itadori hesitated, the lie catching in his throat as he tried to think of what to say. “He’s… in his room, I think," he said, clearing his throat.

Nanami didn’t break eye contact, his gaze piercing through Itadori’s uncertainty. “I’m asking you because I trust you, Itadori," he said, "I need to know where he is.”

Before Itadori could find the courage to speak the truth, Hakari rounded the corner, swaggering into the room with a cocky grin on his face. His shirtless torso was still damp from a shower, a towel slung around his neck. “What’s up, Nanami?” Hakari drawled, leaning casually on the older man’s shoulder, “Just taking a shit.”

Nanami rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. “You’re supposed to be in your room, Hakari. We have a curfew for a reason,” he chided.

Hakari’s grin widened, and he flashed Itadori a look that sent a shiver down his spine. It was a look that held too much knowledge, too much satisfaction—a look that said, "I know you won’t say anything."

Nanami sighed and began to steer Hakari out of the room, his firm grip on the younger man’s arm. “Back to your room," he said, "No more excuses.”

Hakari chuckled as he allowed himself to be led away, his gaze lingering on Itadori until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Itadori was left standing in the dimly lit room, his heart pounding in his chest. The echo of Hakari’s grin haunted him, a sinister reminder of the darkness that had crept into their lives. The weight of what they were all involved in pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

The darkness of the room was palpable as Gojo stood before Sarah, the weight of Sukuna's final finger heavy in his palm. His fingers trembled slightly as he extended it toward her, his expression twisted with a grimace. Sarah's eyes, cold and unfeeling, locked onto his as she took the finger without hesitation, her fingers grazing his as she grasped it.

"Are you sure about this?" Gojo asked, his voice rough with unease.

Sarah didn't respond. Instead, she raised the finger to her lips and swallowed it whole. Gojo watched, his stomach churning as her throat moved to consume the cursed object. Her eyes fluttered closed, and for a moment, the room was thick with silence, the tension between them almost suffocating.

Then, a sharp burst of cursed energy exploded from Sarah’s body. She winced, her teeth gritted in concentration, focusing every ounce of her strength on what came next. Gojo’s breath caught as he saw the jagged outline of a skeletal arm begin to form where her missing limb had been. The bone stretched and twisted, slowly building shape and sinew, until a fully formed arm skeletal sprouted from her shoulder. Her leg followed suit, skeletal with dark and burned bones not unlike her own summons. Their fleshless forms clicked together as she tapped the leg with her new boney fingers.

Sarah slowly stood, testing the weight on her newly formed limbs, then turned to Gojo. Her eyes, dark and cold, beckoned him forward. "Take me back to Tenjiku, Satoru," she asked, her voice pitched in a pathetic attempt to sound sweet.

Gojo swallowed hard, the feeling of dread clawing at his insides. He nodded, too afraid of what would happen if he refused. They moved quickly through the night, their destination looming ominously on the horizon. But as they arrived, a strange sight greeted them: the doors of Tenjiku were shut tight, an unusual occurrence that set Gojo’s nerves on edge.

Sarah, undeterred, leaped up with newfound strength, crashing through a skylight with a single powerful kick. Gojo followed, his infinity wrapping around him like a protective shield. As soon as they landed inside, a blur of movement caught his eye—Rin, her eyes wild with rage, charged at him.

Her nails, long and sharp, slashed at his infinity, sparks of cursed energy crackling in the air. Her teeth bared, she let out a feral growl, her fury palpable. "You bastard!" she screamed, her voice a raw, emotional explosion, "What the hell are you doing with her?!"

Gojo took a step back, his heart pounding even though he knew he was safe. Rin’s attacks were relentless, her words laced with venom. "You think you can just walk in here and take her? After everything?"

"Rin, stop!" Sarah’s voice cut through the chaos, and Rin froze mid-attack, her breathing ragged. She turned to face Sarah, her anger quickly morphing into something else as she took in the sight before her.

Sarah’s newly regenerated limbs, skeletal and raw, seemed almost unnatural, a grotesque display of power that sent a shiver down Rin’s spine. She took a step back, horror etched into her features. "What… What did you do?" She breathed, her fingers reaching out but stopping just short of Sarah's arm.

Sarah’s gaze was unwavering, her voice devoid of emotion. "Gojo helped me heal," she said with a shrug.

But the words hung in the air like a lie. Gojo could feel the tension, the way Rin recoiled from Sarah’s presence. There was something in her eyes, an almost primal sense that was screaming at her that something was wrong. Her eyes were still wide, her nails and teeth receding back as she stared.

Boe’s voice suddenly broke the moment, sharp and commanding. "Gojo, you need to leave," she said, "No men are allowed inside, except Todo and Okkotsu."

Gojo didn’t need to be told twice. He glanced at Sarah one last time, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions, before activating his infinity and leaping away. As soon as he was outside, the air felt lighter, less suffocating. Relief washed over him, but so did a profound sense of loss and disgust. He was relieved to be away from her, away from the madness, but a part of him was devastated by what he’d just witnessed—and by what he had become in her eyes.

Gojo tried to move silently as he slipped back into his room, the weight of the night pressing down on him. The memories of what had just transpired over the last week were fresh in his mind, and he was desperate for some kind of reprieve and some good goddamn sleep. But as he closed the door behind him, he felt a presence—one that made his heart skip a beat.

Geto hurtled in, his face a mixture of fear and concern. He looked disheveled, his usual calm demeanor replaced by something more frantic. "Satoru," he called out, voice tight with emotion, "Where have you been?"

Gojo froze, his heart racing. The lie was on the tip of his tongue, but something in Geto's expression stopped him. The way his friend's eyes scanned his face, searching for the truth, made it impossible to lie. "I… I messed up," Gojo admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Geto stepped closer, his fear intensifying. "What did you do with Sarah?" He asks, his voice trembling.

The question hit Gojo like a punch to the gut. His eyes widened, anger surging up from somewhere deep within. "What are you fuckin' sayin', Suguru? That I hurt her?" He gritted.

Geto flinched at the accusation, guilt flashing across his face. "I’m not saying that, but you’ve been… distant, different," he said quickly, "And then you disappear, and Sarah is—"

"Stop it," Gojo snapped, cutting him off, "I didn’t hurt her, okay? I was trying to help. But it all went wrong." His voice cracked slightly, betraying his own inner turmoil. He couldn't tell him. No way.

For a moment, the two of them stood there, tension crackling in the air like static. Then Geto’s expression softened, regret seeping into his features. "I’m sorry, Satoru," he said quietly, "I didn’t mean to accuse you. I’m just worried. You’ve been through so much lately…"

The anger drained from Gojo almost instantly, replaced by exhaustion. He slumped against the wall, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "You’re right. I’ve been… off," he murmured, "And I’ve been high, Suguru. I couldn’t stay clean, not after everything. It was too much."

Geto's eyes filled with disappointment, but also understanding. "I’m not happy about it, but I get it. It’s hard to quit cold turkey, especially with all this shit going on." He hesitated, then placed a hand on Gojo’s shoulder, "But you need to be careful, Satoru. You’re spiraling, and I’m scared for you."

Gojo sighed, leaning into his friend's touch for comfort. "I know," he admitted, swallowing thickly, "I’m... I'm scared too."

There was a moment of silence between them, a brief reprieve from the chaos that had consumed their lives. But it didn’t last long. Geto pulled back slightly, his expression shifting to something more guarded.

"What happened at Tenjiku?" Gojo asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and concern, "They had it boarded up and locked down."

Geto shook his head, frustration evident in his features. "I don’t know," he said, "I wasn’t there when it all went down. Did you get in? What did you see when you got there?"

Gojo recounted the events in detail—the blood stains, Rin’s attack, Boe’s intervention. He watched as Geto’s face darkened with each word, the wheels in his mind turning rapidly. When he finished, Geto seemed lost in thought, his brow furrowed. His fingers flexed as he crossed his arms, his eyes roaming back and forth as something pieced together in his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Gojo pressed, sensing that his friend was holding something back.

Geto hesitated, then shook his head, dismissing whatever was on his mind. "I’m just… worried about Rin," he said with a gentle, but nervous smile, "She’s been through so much. I don’t know how much more she can take."

Gojo narrowed his eyes, sensing the half-truth in Geto’s words. He knew his friend well enough to recognize when something was being left unsaid, but tonight, with everything weighing so heavily on both of them, he decided not to push. They each had their own secrets, and tonight, that was something Gojo could understand.

"Yeah," Gojo finally said, his voice resigned, "I’m worried about her too. About all three of them."

The two men stood in the quiet of the room, the shared weight of their secrets hanging in the air between them. For now, it was enough just to be there, to know that despite everything, they still had each other—though the cracks in their friendship were beginning to show, threatening to pull them apart at the seams.

⤶ Prev Main Next ↪

[seldomscilence16]

Whumptober day 16:

"Would you lie with me, and just forget the world?"

Gurney | flatline | "Don't go where I can't follow."

Fandom: Ducktales

Prompts used: all

So didnt think this was gonna go where it went but uh, it did. Based heavily on a tumblr post/story that did it way better than me, but some angst none the less. However as with most all my stories, the whole… clone thing? Yeah… nah. April May and June are their own birds and typically based off of the Legend of the 3 cabs show versions of them. So 🫶🏻

TW for temporary character death, near death experiences, implied child abuse, and children in dangerous situations.

…

It's dark. 

Quiet, the world was full of noise at all times, but this, this was the absence of everything. 

A glimmer of golden moon light, he looks towards it, a familiar scene plays out before his eyes. 

Donald, maybe 6 years old, is wandering around Grandma Ducks farm, looking for something- no someone. He's still wearing the stiff material his parents like to put him in, which means he'd- no they'd- just been dropped off. He finds Della lying on the roof of the barn, skirt already covered in hay and dirt, hair pulled down from whatever hair do their mother had insisted on. 

"You know Gramma doesn't like us up here." Donald's voice is hoarse from disuse, but his sister has always been able to understand him best. 

"I needed to be somewhere high. Above their reach." Della responds, and older Donald remembers this. Remembers how angry his sister had been that day, how their parents had been insufferable. Tufts of hair and feathers had been pulled as they were made 'presentable'. "Would you lie with me, and just forget the world?" She finally asks, hand reached out to him. 

He doesn't hesitate, taking her hand and laying beside her. They stare at the sky, matching bruised wrists pressed together, and forget. 

Donald thinks about the couple years after that, before they moved in with Uncle Scrooge, and how many times they felt lost until they could look up at the sky together and simply be. 

The golden glow takes on the slightest hue of red, like a sunrise over a pile of treasure, and Donald really has no other options in this black nothingness, than to watch. 

He's older, maybe 12, and they're on an adventure. It's a rare one, Gladstone and Fethry allowed to join, and Donald can see his younger selves anxiety as the threes antics play out. Uncle Scrooge, for his part, is trying to figure out a riddle of some kind to get the entrance open. 

Fethry is the one to actually figure it out, giggling with glee when the rock slides away to reveal the entrance. Scrooge is mildly impressed- though he wouldn't show it of course- and Donald ruffles the boy's hat/head in his place, Della whooping and Gladstone groaning out a 'finally' even as he grins at Fethry. 

They head inside, following the old man's lead as he makes his way carefully, torch held high- because why use a flashlight?- and open book in hand. Some legend or other, some treasure he had to have, on an adventure he had to prove he could do. Donald didn't mind it, really it could be fun and he loved learning new stuff- Fethry and Della are messing around, a foot steps where it shouldn't, Donald is in front of them before he really thinks about it. 

Something always went wrong. 

Seeing it from the outside is strange, watching his younger self get punctured by several arrows. At the time he hadnt been able to take in his families reactions, and the aftermath had been lectures and the likes, but seeing it now… seeing Uncle Scrooges terror as he rushes back, Della and Fethrys screams he hadnt heard over his own falll, Gladstones paralyzed form as terror wide eyes stared at Donalds fallen form. He gets to watch the panic and fear and tears, from the temple all the way to the nearest hospital, how they all try to follow the gurney and are held back. 

Donald hadn't realized they'd cared that much… Was it like that everytime? Or… just in the beginning, when they didnt use these things to their advantage? Donald knows it's gotten better- after so much worse happened first- but he wonders… right now, are they worried like this, or are they there at all? 

Della had always assumed their times would come together. Even when she was on the moon, she figured she'd live and miraculously drop dead as Donald did on Earth and they'd reunite in the beyond and yell and hug and-

Or… as a kid, she worried it would end in a hospital before his time. He'd be injured because of her or another family member, and they'd all be gathered- or so many missing, why did they always leave when Donald needed them most?- around a too still form as a heart rate monitor flat lines in a high final tone. 

Her heart has yet to calm, she's staring blankly before her, at a machine meant to destroy all adventure- meant to destroy her family- and yet… the only one missing is her brother, the duck ready to sacrifice himself for his loved ones at any given moment. The one who was dropped into an angry red ball of lightning, even after Scrooge signed that damned contract. 

The machine was shut down moments after, moments too late, and the rage that had overtaken Della in that moment… figures she’d understand Donald after he was…

The ensuing battle was a mess, Della had seen red for most of it, Donalds bandmates had shown up to save Scrooge from a direct blast from the sword of swanstentine, and Louie and Huey had found a hole in the contract, and the family had won- 

"Where's Uncle Donald??" Dewey is the first to ask, his brothers look around,

"He was on the platform with you guys wasnt he mom?" Huey looks imploringly at the adults before him, and Della falls to her knees. 

"Mom!?" 

Scrooge places a heavy hand on her shoulder, eyes teary as he tries to look at the children slowly gathering before them. 

"Yer Uncle… well he-" 

"No. Nonono, don't finish that sentence." Louie cuts him off, eyes wet and lower beak wobbling, "It's Uncle Donald. It's ridiculous how much he can go through and still come back. We need him so he has to be… he's fine!" Huey and Dewey are on either side of him, Webby has his hoodie squeezed in her fist, Violet and Lena are behind her, Gosolyn and Boyd inching closer to Dewey and Huey respectively. 

Everyone else is closing in behind them, those who understand looking lost and shocked, and looking back at the machine like he'd just… waltz out of it. 

Della sobs, something deep and bitter and broken, a wail so loud her ancestors must feel her pain. The clouds had dispersed with their victory, the sun mocks her as tragedy shakes the unshakable family. 

"Della? Whats wrong?" The crackly voice is unmistakable, Della fears she is hearing things, that she'll find his ghost when she lowers her eyes, but Scrooges gasp,

"Donald Duck." 

"Uncle Scrooge. What's everyone doing? Did we lose?" 

Donald is being supported by José and Panchito on either side- Della hadn't seen them leave, just as she hadn't seen them arrive- he looks drained, a gray tinge to his form and darkness beneath his eyes. He'd only been gone a few moments but he looks like he went through hell to get back- and well maybe he did. 

Della stumbles towards him at full speed, sure the others are right behind her, and tackles him to the ground. He wheezes, feeling too thin beneath her arms, but hugs back just as tight,

"I swear Donald, never do that again! Don't go where I can't follow. I… can't do this without you." She whispers it, a moment for them alone, voice trembling as she buries her teary face in his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry. I'm here now." He runs a hand through her hair, one more long moment before she moves and a pile of children replace her. 

"Uncle Donald!" The chorus is music to his ears, he'd thought he'd never hear it again. 

He thought he'd drift in a black void, his thoughts his only company, forever. He felt weakened with every memory, sucked dry and hopeless as he realized his many mistakes and had his trauma bared before him. Seeing José's glowing green eyes had startled him into a squawk he hadn't realized he could release in the silence. His shadow form was practically invisible with no light to define him, but his hand had led Donald home. What had felt like a lifetime, had been mere minutes, but he was glad he didn't miss too much. He wanted to see the- his- kids grow up. 

And give this whole family thing another shot.

[honeybeewhereartthee]

MDD MINI CORNER (NOT HC???): Plushie Accident

||Twisted wonderland x Ensemble stars||

?:"I swear it's not my fault!"

??:"they all say that, Alicechi. but we both know it's your fault."

You heard someone chats as you walk home one Halloween night holding Mayoi hand.

"What's that ?" You wonder as you look around what could be that cause of that noise.

Mayoi:"I don't think it's good to--"

MC:"my doll hunting sense is tingling --"

before mayoi could stop you, your already run. "...and they are gone... " Mayoi sigh before he fallow you along.

"OMG A DOLL!" he then saw you hugging a doll while being stared by two stranger.

"I--... IM SO SORRY IS THAT YOUR DOLL? PLEASE FORGIVE MC, IF YOU WANNA PUNISH SOMEONE DO IT TO ME INSTEAD!" sensing those two don't look normal, mayoi quickly apologize on his knee.

"Lol, is this the effect of villains to normal people." The one with short fluffy rainbow hair and aurora eyes giggle at the quick reaction of mayoi.

"Alicechi just because your a damn Elsa doesn't mean you could openly insult ok!?" The one with flaming blue hair clicked his tongue by the words of his fellow dorm mate.

"IM NOT ELSA WHAT THE HELL!?" The one called Alicechi yelled back. Before he sigh and look at the two human, one is kneeling and one is shamelessly hugging a certain fea that is turned to a doll. Not by him of course, totally not because of him.

"uwahh. No! No bullying mayoi ( ･ั﹏･ั)" snapping our of your trance you stood up in front of mayoi still holding the unknown doll on your hand.

"M-MC...!!" Mayoi can't help but be flustered and embarrassed that your standing up for him.

"lolol what's this, a couple? Holy shit is this person really going to protect a dude taller than them? Ahahaha" The one with flaming blue hair laugh mockingly at the two.

"I hope you get your ass kick for mocking gremlin people." Alice commented as idia continue to say insulting words.

"holy that dude is crying--" idia was about to say more about Mayoi who's already in tears.

"NO BULLYING MAYOI!!" you already send a hand chop to his nape's pressure point.

"Agh....!!" Not expecting the attack and being weak in physical education. Idia is knock out.

"Lol what did I told you, dorm leader?" Alice chuckle as he takes picture of his dorm leader embarrassing pose of defeat.

"Anyway. Can I have the doll in your hand now, miss/sir?" Alice turn to look at you with soft smile.

"..." Suddenly realize that the doll would have to leave you become reluctant to part ways with it.

"*Hic..." You cried. "M-MC! D-dont cry please!" Mayoi quickly tried to console you.

"... Lol a-alicechi bullying kids ..." Idia commented in the ground, through his groaning in pain as he realize his body is paralyze down his nape.

"IM NOT!" Alice denied. Before he sigh as he look at you and to your companion.

"Oh... OH!!" You look confuse as Alice person look at mayoi strangely. "It's one of the unfortunate soul wandering the world!" He says as he point at mayoi who froze.

"H-huh... N-no I-im human --" he denied the claim, fearing the worse.

"I know. I can see that." Alice chuckle. "Well at least some good thing happened from a deal years ago." His words seems full of enigma as if he knows what's up.

"Agh... Is this the one you said you went to this world accidentally?" -idia.

"probably... No it's totally this world." Alice chuckle before he point at mayoi and then to you.

"Miss/sir, do you love Doll so much? Wanna hug your companion doll form again?" You look at him confuse at his offer.

"D-DOLL MAYOI? (〃ﾟ3ﾟ〃)" you unconsciously nodded because you wanted to hug mayoi plushie form again.

"Y-yes-- N-NO--M-MAYBE?" Not wanting to let out your feelings yet you still wanted it. Leading to a confusing answer.

"... M-MC...(•‿ •,)"-mayoi. I know MC miss my doll self. (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

"okii~" Alice smile as he point at mayoi who then turn back to his doll self. "Ooh l, it's the second one." He commented as he look at the DD. "Anyway it's temporary his back after 30 minutes." He explained.

"I wonder if that curse you put to draconia is a temporary thing too. Can't wait to see your kingdom war against fae." -idia.

"MAL WOULD BE FINE. ITS LILIA FAULT OK!" -alice.

"sure, sure blame the innocent guy." -Idia.

"..." -alice. Since when that old fae a innocent guy?

"uwaaahh mayoi doll formmmm~~" you already on your knees to hug mayoi doll form with the other doll. Showering them with kisses. "Love you, I love you~" you said between smooches.

"weird kid | yup." -idia, Alice

...

25 minutes later with you only hugging the two dolls.

"can I have the other doll--"

"sorry no can't do." -alice. "Not because I don't want too. That's a person... A fae, the prince of dark fae." As he said that the two dolls disappear in your hands and two tall figure appear beside you, one hold you protectively, while the other look at you in great interest.

"N-no... MC is mine!" Mayoi cried out as if he heard some words from the other doll earlier.

"Hmm, is that so? But they seems fine with me... " The prince of fae, Malleus Draconia stared at the two of you. "

Woah, your tall!" You commented, looking up to the figure.

"Child of man, your very interesting. I hope we shall meet again. You as well. Phantom." Malleus smirk as he grab hold of your right hand and softly kiss the back of it. Before he disappear with green sparkling dust.

"...good gott. He left us. Whatever." -alice cannot believe this. He then pick up his dorm leader and look at you two.

"Your MC right?" You nodded your head. " Thank you for loving the unfortunate children of this world. That person would be so happy to see such scene... That his wish have been with a reason... Good bye now ~" with that Alice disappear with blue star dust left behind.

A thought come in mind. You wonder at that very moment if the blue star mayoi and others meant is a literal star or a person who can grant wish but without a limit?

Alice Bylur My main blog Twisted OC

MC of @allimili

[itsuki-minamy]

"SIDE GOLD"

CHAPTER 3: OOTONO BENJI (PART 1)

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

"Black market"... an illegal market. In Japan, it mainly refers to a temporary market where transactions were made at exorbitant prices compared to the official price immediately after the defeat of the war. They were crowded together in urban areas and mainly dealt with food and household items. With the revival of distribution and the abolition of price controls, the number gradually declined and, with a few exceptions, was absorbed into the permanent market system.

Ootono Benji slowly raised his head in the mist.

(Again "Musikui".) Note: worm-eaten

At first, he was relieved that it was not coming towards them and it crept in the opposite direction. After doing that, he narrowed his eyes at what it was aiming for.

Beyond the thick fog... where two forces collided.

They fought big and fiercely, dispersing their power.

It was crawling around.

(I have a bad feeling about this.)

Ootono took his time getting up. As he adjusted the position of the accordion he held, a murmur like a sigh filtered through the bandages.

"Wait, let's take a look... I just have a bad feeling..."

Ootono began to walk, with long, thin legs and small steps.

Someone noticed.

"Hey, Ben-san is coming out."

And he called to those around him.

From deep in the mist...

"Oh, my gosh, the pot was boiling."

"Let's all eat right now."

"It's the end of the fire. Hurry up."

"Even if you don't hurry, I'll catch up with Ben-san."

"This backpack will soon wear out."

"Come on."

"Yes."

A buzz and a crowd responded.

Ootono didn't look back and walked forward with long, slender legs and small steps.

Relying on something vague that only he could sense, he stepped into the mist.

"Kagirohigumi" and the "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" clashed in a desolate wasteland at night.

On one side, fierce faces that showed fighting spirit.

On the other hand, they tried to act cool in a lineup.

In the center, two men advanced as if in a duel. Combining oppression and amazement, no one could get in their way, no one could get close to them.

Before long, as they walked,

Unno Yutaka blew hot enough to burn the night air and asked.

"A former officer?"

He didn't even ask his name.

He didn't even ask him about his current position.

He didn't even ask him about the meaning of his power.

He didn't ask anything unnecessary.

Somei Nazumi understood his intentions, but responded calmly.

"Yes. Before the war, I worked in the general staff office."

"Is that so?"

The heat was changing color.

Red, always red, the color of anger.

"That's you, isn't that?"

As soon as he said that, Unno's entire body burst into flames.

Nazumi didn't stop walking and answered while he hid his gaze under the brim of his hat.

"Not exactly, but I am."

The absurd answer, it was not clear to be delivered to the other party.

The "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" had already completed an investigation into Unno's background.

In other words, Nazumi had taken over all of the opponent's circumstances. Although he himself never belonged to a department involved in kamikaze operations, it is an indisputable fact that he was a member of the General Staff. But concealment, excuses and silence are not his style.

That's why he responded with absurd words based on the facts.

Besides, he had no intention of giving in to guilt.

He had things to do, so he would never stop walking.

Even now, his footsteps were regular and sharp.

"You're the kind of person who can't speak until you get hit."

"......"

Unno did not understand the reasoning.

Or rather, his reasoning was paralyzed by his overflowing emotions.

He stayed behind, but found someone to hit with all he had.

The answer that brings the man back, the opportunity, the power that he had been seeking for so long...

"Ok, untie the sword at your waist."

It was just a request for the outbreak of war.

He had a low posture like a beast, sneaking up.

As the distance between them narrowed, Nazumi naturally placed his hand on his waist. When he took the saber out of its scabbard and picked it up, a crystalline blue glow engulfed his entire body. Among them,

"It's not like I'm trying to take it easy because I feel a sense of shame or guilt."

An extra word was added that surprised even the person himself.

Unno responded with a kind smile.

"Prey what you want... I'm a fist type."

He closed the remaining distance with one foot.

At the tip of that rush, a fist engulfed in red flames collided with the saber and exploded.

In the explosion that colored the night, Nazumi waved his saber and a blue glow spread, restoring calm to the area.

Unno was not in the blue landscape.

The moment he realized that, Nazumi swung his saber over his head.

In the air, Unno's leg, which was kicking as if he was jumping, collided with the saber again and exploded again. This time, without delay, the saber flashed, but Unno returned it.

At the moment when three explosions occurred in the middle, they faced each other.

A battle that exceeded expectations, with Unno smiling ecstatically.

An expressionless Nazumi hid his eyes under the brim of his hat, perhaps dodging the exploding flames.

The red power and the blue power collided, but they never mixed and burst.

As if regretting the distance that they had taken, they collided again.

Unno scattered red flames, turned them into cannonballs, and threw them at Nazumi.

Nazumi clothed himself in blue crystals, knocked down the cannonballs, and returned to tranquility.

The opposing forces strengthened each other, filled the space and finally saturated.

Red and blue lights spread out in the night, enveloping the "Kagirohigumi" and the "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" who were watching the battle.

And, the power saturated from him became a spark that split the night sky, revealing it in the blink of an eye.

A show of power with an overwhelming presence.

A manifestation of terror with the tip of his sword stuck in the ground.

Two giant swords, red and blue, with both sides.

In order to avoid a series of explosions, both the "Kagirohigumi" and the "Fourth Legal Affairs Office", who had descended to a corner of the plaza, were engulfed in the light of their respective "King". The surprise passed quickly, replaced by confusion at a sudden surge of energy.

Tamataro Okuma opened and closed his palms to fully enjoy the feeling of power.

"I see."

He took a big step forward and fired a flaming punch at a nearby blue suit.

Iyoda, who had his fist thrown...

"Uhieh?!"

As he raised a pathetic voice, he drew his sword in an instant and received the attack.

He was well below his "King", but it was enough to shake the air.

Both parties, who were thinking of their own changes, came to their senses.

"Idiot! What are you doing?!"

First, Hoizumi yelled and drew his sword.

Then Rokugo and Toneyama attacked.

"Hey!"

"Ha!"

As Okuma jumped back, Nizuka and Hentani came closer.

"Are you safe, Iyoda-san?!"

"I, well, you accepted it, just now."

Hakizawa, unable to draw his sword, helped Iyoda, who was on his buttocks, to his feet.

"Hey, get up~"

"I-Iyoda, unharmed..."

Adding Iyoda, who was muttering out of habit while rolling his eyes, the "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" formed a line.

On the other hand, the "Kagirohigumi" also gathered around Okuma and showed their overflowing power with their fists and weapons.

His step to join the battle of the "King" that was still going on.

"That's all!"

"Guys, stop!"

The scolding of the two people in front of them stopped them.

Somei Chika stalked out of the center of the formation.

"Now is not the time for such fights!"

Todokoro Suwako pushed through the bastards and stepped forward.

"That guy is really on a rampage, it's not a stage for little people to appear!"

The two women collided in the eyes for a few seconds.

Without even expecting that, a red stray bullet flew out.

Chika immediately hit the ground with the butt of her naginata and screamed.

"Below!"

Regardless of the faction, everyone in the place complied.

A blue barrier developed around the naginata and stopped the stray bullet's explosion.

A few seconds after the flames finally died down, Chika's knees relaxed.

Just one shot, just a few seconds, it was too strong.

Suwako stood up and said:

"Here!"

She purposely yelled so that even the blue clothes could hear her. While she was at it, she grabbed the wobbly Chika's hand and ran.

They all followed her and barely escaped the fierce battle.

"Oh, thank you."

Suwako didn't look at Chika as she thanked her. She cursed the man who made her do it and she just ran.

"That bastard will be terrible later!"

After a few seconds of tightrope walking, they slipped into a barely comfortable spot, behind a bench at the end of the lot. Suwako and Chika exchanged smiles after checking each other's clothes.

"You're doing it, right?"

"No, not yet."

Chika responded with sincere remorse and sat down on the ground. She put the naginata next to her, straightened her back, and saluted again.

"You're Suwako Todokoro from "Kagirohigumi", right? My name is Somei Chika."

"A pleasure."

On the contrary, Suwako carelessly stretched out her long legs and asked pretentiously.

"Are you the lover of the Somei who is fighting with us?"

Chika responded firmly.

"He is my husband."

"Uh, how nice."

"Hey."

Okuma inadvertently rushed towards Suwako, who collapsed without thinking.

Chika ignored him and kept talking.

"As for my work, I serve as an underboss to help him. We are the "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau". It is an organization that cracks down on what you call Ichigeimono."

"Hmm, you cleaned the guys on the rooftop, so that's the suppression."

"What? Is that true?"

Okuma was surprised by Suwako's unexpected testimony and asked.

Chika nodded calmly and honestly without showing off.

"That is also my task. I came here with the intention of fighting you, so the current result is a matter of course."

"Hmm, well, it doesn't change that I was saved, and I'd like to thank you for protecting me at that time. Thank you."

At this point, Suwako didn't show off and thanked her honestly.

Such a personality made Chika feel good and she smiled slightly.

"I'll guess."

Okuma, who was deep in his thought, opened his mouth.

"Is it related to the movements of these guys that you guys came?"

His gaze went to Thomas Colt and "Ebisu no Kunizo" lying at his feet. Realizing that Unno was about to go insane, he brought the gang with him as he fled.

Okuma is quick to act and quick to think. From Colt and Chika's environment, he had a rough idea of the situation.

"These guys said that we should join the Occupation Army. The reason they seemed strangely impatient was because they were competing with you."

"It's going to be a political story, so I can't talk about it carelessly."

Chika's explanation lacked clarity for the first time.

"Honestly, I didn't think the conversation would go this far. I don't know if it was unexpected for Nazumi..."

Suwako didn't answer immediately, but looked over the bench. A glimpse of Unno's expression in the midst of the war, his expression clouded with danger overflowing with joy.

"It's been a long time since he felt like this. It's a dark laugh that seems to be possessed by something when you guys arrived at my house."

After saying that, little, weak...

"Finally, here with everyone..."

She expressed her emotions.

Okuma, who had the same thoughts, asked with a slightly heavy voice.

"Your husband is strong, right?"

"Yes. He won't break easily."

Chika affirmed that.

Beneath the two swords, the two "Kings" collided.

The wait and see was over, and they continued to increase their powers.

This attack was blocked, so let's hit it with a stronger blow.

If he also pushes this defense, then let's defend it even more firmly.

Switching between attack and defense, taking a surprise attack and hitting him head on, as he repeated this, Nazumi realized that his timing was out of step. He noticed it and was very offended.

"I see... I understand why even with the power of the "Blue King", I can't do well, I can't help but slip."

A pleasant voice laughed at the displeased voice.

"What are you talking about?!"

Nazumi explained as he repelled all the fist attacks with his saber.

"There's always the fluctuation that the devil suddenly appears and rages, so it can't be done perfectly."

"If you are going to speak, so that the other party can understand... Say it!"

With more force, he drove his fist.

Several barracks behind the locked fist were torn off in a shock wave accompanied by flames. The area where they were fighting and the adjacent market were already empty. When it became clear that they were going back and forth with the boss, who was also a formidable opponent, they were all gone. It was already customary, it was treated as a disaster, and those who had dispersed to other compartments were only preparing to extinguish the fire while holding their breath. Fortunately, Nazumi's power extinguished all the subsequent flames, so there was no concern about the fire.

As told, Nazumi uttered words that the other party could understand.

"Because there is a person like you..."

He struck with his saber.

"My calculations are going crazy!"

Unno was dragged and pushed back.

"Ha! I'll teach you words that can be said in one word!"

From there, he pushed back, hit it, and proceeded.

"You're in the way!"

Nazumi turned around and prepared for the next attack.

"So, take my word for it... I'd like to say it, but there's a real problem."

"Eh?"

He did not understand the position of the suspicious Unno. He stayed alert for a conversation.

"Finally, I have "this time". After all, we couldn't talk until we'd hit each other."

"You are a bastard who speaks in a tiresome way."

To keep the mood of the blue clothes (he didn't remember his name) in the fight, Unno continued with his words.

"I don't have ears to listen. I don't even want to ask questions."

"What was that?"

The two, who never clicked, crossed paths forever.

"I just took a deep breath... to gain even more power!"

As he said, the flames that engulfed Unno's body gained momentum.

It was misunderstood, Nazumi became more offensive.

"I have no intention of interfering with you. Rather, it is the opposite."

"If you turn into a corpse, I'll listen to you! After crushing me, speak by yourself!"

"You really are annoying."

Nazumi was even confused by Unno's unwavering fighting spirit.

This was his first battle with the "King". He didn't want to admit it. Still, he was optimistic at the start of the accident. Assuming that he was an opponent of the same rank as him, he guessed the skill and saw through the peculiarities of the movement in the crossover. As always, a shogi game that charts the winning streak.

However, this "Red King" completely destroyed his board and his calculations.

Nazumi's guess and insight weren't wrong. Nazumi was far superior in skill, and Unno never changed his movement pattern. His sophisticated martial arts skills which trained from Chika were forced to leave neglected gaps many times.

However, Unno never gave up. He even gained heat and strength with each powerful blow. Like a cauldron from hell leaking enough lava to crack. Nazumi began to push slowly.

Unno approached with a crazy smile, Nazumi recognized him as a serious threat.

"Not yet, not at all!"

"It's not something to carelessly say "so it will be"."

However, he did not believe that he would be defeated. As he fought, he continued to analyze opponents who exceeded his expectations. He was convinced that there was no way that as the "Blue King" he couldn't do it.

This man, Unno Yutaka.

"If it's you, the red that overflows from me will be dyed a single color with blood, flames, and the sun of this day!"

A kamikaze pilot who survived.

Emotional outbursts stemming from suicidal thoughts.

If he were to interpret the phenomenon before his eyes lightly, that would be the case.

(However, there is a sense of incongruity.)

It should be easy to deal with someone who's been dumped.

It's just that he was moving forward without thinking about self-destruction.

Unno was clearly different.

When he jumped, when he was attacked, when he burned with power, none of it had the lazy peace of a death seeker. On the contrary, he felt a strong desire to be inspired.

(Yes, his will is there.)

In the midst of his thoughts, Nazumi took a key.

(His acts aren't based solely on emotion... they are mediated by a strong will.)

At first glance, it appeared to be a runaway race left to the emotions, but deep down there was an unshakable core and strong will. Otherwise, it would be impossible to master the power of the "King" and compete with Nazumi.

Nazumi tried to figure it out.

(Isn't it the other way around? He Aroused intense emotions with a strong will…)

He cut off his thoughts in half.

"......?"

The first thing he noticed was his strength.

There was a hole in the ordered blue space.

"Eh?"

A bit later, Unno also noticed.

There was a distorted dent in the red power that was dispersing like a raging wave.

Both of them involuntarily directed their gazes towards the hole, the dent, at the disgusting sensation they felt for the first time.

Then they stopped.

That direction was none other than the embankment where the "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" and "Kagirohigumi" hid behind. It seemed as if it could be confused with the row of houses in the crude barracks, full of holes.

A tall body swaying in the alley, wrapped in a black robe, something like that.

[changeling-fae]

Hello! For the not-nice OC ask, hunt, nightmare, and torture? For any OC you wish to talk about 🧐

Thanks, will once again do it for Nym. 💖

Once again putting this below a cut for triggering things: past child abuse, past CSA, drug use, and torture.

hunt: Who or what is your OC hunted by? A person, a feeling, a past mistake? Is your OC able to let their guard down, or are they constantly alert?

Nym is hunted by Orin, the cult, her mother (in a sense), and herself. She is always alert, even when she sleeps.

I headcanon that not only is she a light sleeper, she very rarely ever feels safe enough to put her guard around others while she sleeps. You touch her and she’s already got a knife or her stinger aimed at you. The poor companions have to wake her from a distance if they don’t want to accidentally be shanked. She may have paralyzed one of them accidentally before (sorry Gale).

Years of always living on the edge, because she never knew when was someone would try and take her out, left her with a pretty engrained instinct that it’s kill or be killed.

It takes awhile for Astarion (and Raphael) to be able to touch her while she sleeps without her instantly reacting, it’s pure instinct on her part.

Also she sleeps in a fetal position on her stomach. She’s tight as a ball, as if to protect her vitals and conserve heat (which is what she’s doing).

But Nym never feels safe and she has to worry about losing control of her demonic/bhaalspawn side if she’s not constantly vigilant.

nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

As both a bhaalspawn and just a trauma victim, she has nightmares all the time. Nightmares of her father’s death, of her time imprisoned in the dark after his death, of the people she’s killed, and of dreaming of the people she cares about dying by her hand.

She never tells anyone anything. She’s tighter than a clam and how she deals with her nightmares is by not sleeping, getting high, and/or ONS. After meeting Raphael (about a year before the game) she often visits the DD to play lanceboard with him or just not be alone. Ironically he’s the one person she felt somewhat safe with, he’s still a danger but she knew he had no plans to shank her at least and she could always sense his infernal nature so she didn’t have to worry about him being secretly Orin or a changeling.

torture: Has your OC ever been tortured? Would your OC ever torture someone else?

Oh, many times. First time was when her father died; goblins had cut off her wings in front of him before he broke free and managed to flee with her (but he succumbed to his own wounds). Then when the noble bought her from the debt collector, he kept her in hidden isolation below his estate and sexually abused her before she escaped and murdered him. Once the cult of Bhaal found her (her murders of the noble and his estate is how they found her), they quickly brought her into the fold.

She often had fight other cultists in rituals and was often pitted against Orin and the white dragonborn Durge created by Bhaal (she’s Durge too but her birth was more complicated). Her butler encouraged her rage and taught her how to torture other through various methods, although her abyssal heritage simmering underneath gave her an innate skill in it already.

She and Orin had a temporary truce shortly before the events of the game where they tortured and killed the white dragonborn Durge, but of course Orin eventually gets the jump on her as well. Canonically Orin tortured her and put a tadpole in her, and then Kressa Bonedaughter found her and experimented on her for who knows how long right before the start of the game.

Honestly Nym has been tortured so much in her life that it’s very ineffective on her. Her pain tolerance is obscenely high and it gets to a point mentally for her where she stops caring about the pain and will fight to the death if she has too. I call it “going feral” for her, she’s about as conscious of herself as a rabid animal.

[ufonaut]

Can we get the official ufonaut alan scott costume ranking

YES WE CAN YES WE CAN!!!

i won't include variations like puffy or regular sleeves/long or short cape/chest symbol or no chest symbol (in the case of the 1940s and the 1990s respectively) because the general concept is the same and alan really hasn't had an extensive amount of costumes! without further ado:

10. the atrocious lantern body cast from justice society of america 2007

i know he was paralyzed and he single-handedly brought himself back from the brink of death! i know he claims the lantern body keeps the starheart contained lest he explode and kill everybody! there's still no excuse for it. prolonged exposure to this atrocious costume induces blindness of the soul.

9. new 52 earth-two generic superhero costume

it's not abysmal but boy, not even andy kubert can save it! as generic as it can get, this is a dollar store brand green lantern. new 52 alan-2 has his moments, rare as they are, especially early on in his series when he was written by james robinson but the costume never did work

8. the current justice society of america 2022 redesign

it's not bad and i love the beard (and pray nightly that it means we're entering the alan scott bear era) but as far as redesigns go, it's almost an offensively lazy one -- his tights seem to have been traded for slacks and his shirt for a button up that's perplexingly got the logo slapped right on it (how does he unbutton it? that's for him to figure out and explode about). it's got no flair! no panache!

7. midlife crisis insanity extravaganza

when alan turned young again in green lantern corps quarterly 1992 and proceeded to suffer various mental breakdowns throughout #4-5, he underwent a couple other significantly more temporary aesthetic changes too and quickly circled through a couple hellish landscapes that had him dressed real appropriately for them. i love this! the ponytail! the horns! the pointy ears! at the end of the story he finds out these illusions were mere reflections of how he feels about himself and isn't that a doozy! i'll let you do with that what you will

6. stargirl spring break special 2021 redesign

this is a significantly better redesign! this is something that does feel like alan's classic outfit while still remaining new and exciting, it's not afraid to steer towards the possibility of ridiculous in order to bring us a real hit. however, it loses points for the boots inexplicably straying from the colour scheme

5. MURDER VIOLENCE RAGE

while this is part of the above midlife crisis insanity extravaganza from glcq #5, i think it deserves its own place on this list solely because of how indicative it is of alan's rage (at the world! at molly! at himself!) and how utterly insane of a look it is

4. checkmate 2006 uniform

i'm an enthusiast of eye patches and military-esque uniforms so this is one of my favourite alan looks ever and one of his most entertaining eras too but we see too little of this look before he either goes back into his regular costume or full civilian and that's a crime in itself! 10/10 despite the unimaginative colour scheme

3. MR KINGDOM COME

MR KINGDOM COME

2. old faithful

i mean, what is there to say? it's a classic! i adore alan's regular costume! i think it's one of those character designs to have just immediately gotten it so right it's crazy! it's a real beauty, drawing on mart nodell's love of greek mythology (the sandal-like laces on the boots), theatre (the tights, the ring), and a healthy dose of inspiration from douglas fairbanks' the black pirate 1926 (the shirt). it's really just great, as enduring and timeless as it gets!

1. SENTINEL (1992-1999)

IT'S SENTINEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEMONIC CAPE HAIR MASK. OPERA GLOVES. ALL SHARP ANGLES ALL THE TIME. ANGER LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. ALAN'S BEST LOOK AND ERA. YOU EITHER GET IT OR YOU DON'T!

[nothingleftforme]

11/23/2023

i’m 23 years old and laying on my friend Vanessa’s couch the night before thanksgiving. she went to sleep early because she has work in the morning so i’m chilling in her living room as i wait for sleep to greet me. i couldn’t go home this year for budget reasons so i’m still in my college town for the holiday. we had a great day today as i spent time with her watching movies and getting food, nowhere to be and just enjoying each other’s company. it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to do this.

i’m laying on the couch feeling good and can’t help but think about the time that will come one day when nights like these are just distant memories. lovely memories that i’ll never forget and will always be grateful for, but memories of a time past nonetheless. it’s better to have lived and have those moments in your back pocket than to not have them at all, and yet at my young age i am paralyzed by nostalgia for moments that are still in my grasp.

one day i will be older with stiffer joints and lines on my face, memories of my youth etched into my being and making me the fully realized person i’ve always wanted to be. i’ll remember spending nights at my best friend’s house, spontaneous trips we’ve taken and relationships each of us have had in our lives. she will probably be married to the love of her life and living a peaceful existence while i continue to chase the answers to life i’ve always wanted.

we’ll catch up and laugh about our time after college when we had worries about the future and passions to pursue. wonder where all the time has gone and beg each other to visit more often. i’ll think to where i am right now and want to give her reassurance that it will be ok. and right now, as the person who i become after accumulated years of time on earth looks back on me through her memories i can only think to ask her how she bears it. how anyone bares it. how nostalgia for exciting and new times in our life doesn’t paralyze you, how meeting and losing people and your home changing and your parents getting older ever becomes bearable. how the threshold you step over after your time on earth has ended gets closer with every passing day becomes bearable. i can live with memories and change, that’s part of being human. but the memories that i hold so dear being so fragile and as hard to hold onto as fine desert sand feels like betrayal. proof that i existed, that every being who has etched their name into my soul throughout my life being so fragile hurts so much.

and yet, as i lay here, letting sleep pull me away for a short time, i think to the times my friends and my mom and sisters have put a blanket over me as i slept. as i was half awake and conscious enough to see them plug my phone in for me in the morning when i forgot to. as i hear the door to my room open while i am half asleep and my dad sees that i’m not awake yet, gently closing the door to let me rest a bit more. little insignificant things, all pointing to love. despite mistakes i make or shortcomings i have as a person, the stars placed me in the exact time and place where i could find love and keep it. despite everything, how fragile and temporary it all feels, the fact that i’ve been able to experience this love and continue to find it makes me feel like it will be worth it. like one day when i’m on my way to meet the stars again i will look back one last time and be so happy to have felt at all.

[duskaris]

OC-tober 2023 Day 1: "Home"

Wow look at me doing some writing. We'll see how many days I can keep this up (I give it a week at most)

Today's feature is the reunion scene between Jay and Madeline after the invasion of their country forces them to flee the place they called home. Part angst, part fluff

Prompts: @oc-tober2023

CW: One mild swear, I think that's all for today

It had been two weeks since Jay arrived in Neva, yet this was the first time he was venturing into the city itself. It was pretty up-close, with its cobblestone streets, colourful houses, and clusters of market stands that grew more frequent the closer to the docks you went. Even surrounded by war, people bustled about, continuing their daily business the best they could. Jay took a deep breath, the autumn air felt crisp in his lungs and the strong smell of brine permeated through the air. Then there was the ocean. A deep blue stretching for as far as the eye could see accompanied by the steady sound of waves crashing onto shore. It was a nice view from the keep, but here, looking across it instead of down at it, it was surreal. 

He slowed down as he approached the warehouse being used as temporary barracks. Just deliver the message and go, that was all he had to do. The Blade guarding the door said nothing as he entered. In fact, nobody said anything as he passed by several small groups gathered around makeshift tables chatting or playing cards. Jay didn’t know if they were too engrossed in their own groups to notice or if they were just past the point of caring. Either way, it was a pleasant surprise. 

“Where’s Captain Smyth set up?” He asked a passing soldier who looked vaguely familiar. He looked Jay up and down, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve got a message from the commander,” Jay said, answering the question before it was spoken. He waved the letter and raised his eyebrows for emphasis.

“Back left, got a sort of office set up,” the soldier relented, then walked off. Jay ignored the attitude and continued on. Set up in the corner were a few pallets stood up to make walls and when Jay rounded the corner, Captain Smyth was sitting at a desk covered in papers, deep in conversation with one of Theodosia’s sons. They fell silent as Jay approached.

“Message from Aeryn,” Jay announced, placing the letter on top of the clutter. The captain nodded in acknowledgement then returned to his conversation, so Jay backed out without another word. Errand done, now he could get out of here and back to the keep. 

It was now on his way out that he saw her. She was sitting on a bunk, a picture of perfection even now. Her brown waves hanging down over her shoulders, violet eyes full of concentration as she doodled in her sketchbook. Jay hadn’t even realised she’d brought it with her when she ran, but he was glad she did. It comforted her, especially now that he couldn’t. He put his head down and walked faster towards the door, praying to the goddesses that she hadn’t seen him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her more. 

As the saltwater air hit his face he wanted to be out of the city more than ever. His heart ached; the sooner he was back in the keep with Aeryn where he had a job to do and nobody treated him like shit on the bottom of their shoe-

“Jay!” A voice cut through his thoughts like a knife through butter, stopping him in his tracks. He felt an impact and stumbled forward as arms wrapped around him and a shape that he knew well nestled into his back.

“Madeline?” he whispered, paralyzed in disbelief. The city crowd flowed around them, oblivious to the reunion of the young couple.

“I can’t believe you were gonna leave without talking to me.” She let go of the hug, her hand grazing down Jay’s arm until his hand was clasped in hers, spinning him around to face her. He searched her face, scanning for the familiar glint of disgust but she was grinning and there was a spark in her eyes.

“I thought-” He hesitated to choke the words out- “I thought you would hate me.” Madeline’s smile instantly fell, replaced with concern.

“I could never hate you, Jay. You should know that.” Madeline pulled him into another hug and though his mind was reeling, this time he reciprocated. She reached a hand up to twirl his hair, then paused. “Wait, is that why you haven’t been to see me? I just assumed the commander was keeping you busy. You actually thought I wouldn’t want you around?”

“You saw my other form, Mads, I’m a monster.” His voice was cold.

“You saved my life, and a lot of people’s lives for that matter,” Madeline exclaimed as though it was that simple.

“That doesn’t matter to them!” Jay shouted, gently shoving Madeline away so he could take a few steps back. His chest was pounding and he was shaking slightly. 

“I’m sorry,” Madeline said softly. She stayed close, placing a hand on his arm, grounding him. Jay focused on his breathing, taking slow breaths in and out.

“It’s not your fault,” he said when he had calmed down a bit. “Other than Aeryn and Wren, nobody typically reacts well. I knew you said before you wouldn’t care, but-”

“But it’s different once it actually happens,” Madeline finished for him.

“Yeah.” The pair stood in silence for a few moments, neither sure of what to say. “For the record I’m sorry too. Too human to be strong, too monster to be trusted. Not enough of anything; I wasn’t able to protect our home.” He hung his head low in shame but it was quickly forced up by a hand on his chin, determined lavender eyes meeting his own.

“You are my home, Jay,” Madeline stated. “You are everything I need. Magi or not, obski or not, it doesn’t matter. I trust you. I love you.” The look in her eyes, the cadence of her voice, it was so sincere. Jay cracked a shy smile. The moment came to an abrupt end as the clock tower rang and Jay remembered he was only there on an errand. He looked between Madeline and the silhouette of the Tidal Keep in the distance.

“Go on, I’m sure the commander needs you,” Madeline insisted, and Jay nodded, though reluctantly. They embraced again and Madeline placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “You’ll start coming to see me sometimes, right?” she whispered into his ear.

“Of course, my love,” he whispered back accompanied with a playful wink as she flushed bright pink. They lingered there for a moment more, until they finally managed to break apart, Madeline watching as he walked away until he had been swallowed by the city folk.

[hey-michael-young-history]

31 Days of Christmas!

Day 6: Paralyzed

It was only temporary, but Kuai Liang was still sullen about it. 

It wasn't even a true paralysis, but Hanzo couldn't help but feel guilty. He had lured Kuai Liang to the Fire Gardens - with the absolute best intentions. If no one reached out to him, he would remain in solitude, locked away in his room in the Lin Kuei Palace. 

If Kuai Liang spent more than three days in isolation, his captains were to inform Hanzo. It was an unofficial part of their alliance, one that the Shirai Ryu grandmaster kept hidden. Hanzo asked him to stay and help them in their tolerance of the cold.

Kuai Liang agreed as he always did when people aspired for self-improvement. Hanzo watched, happy for the break and especially satisfied to see Kuai Liang at ease.

In an incredibly stupid moment of divine intervention, a low roar of thunder rang out, and electricity sparkled in the air. Directly around one of the youngest out there, Shotaro. He looked at his hands in amazement as the electricity grew stronger. 

They both recognized what was happening, but Kuai Liang acted immediately. 

He was there in a moment, pushing Shotaro out of the way and moving out of the way – until a kunai on a chain wrapped around his neck. Once Hanzo realized that his student was safe and Kuai Liang had frozen - metaphorically - he realized his error and tried to recall his weapon. But that split second of hesitation was enough for Kuai Liang to be trapped in Lord Raiden’s entrance.

The chaos that followed was a blur, but Hanzo remembered that Kuai Liang had been completely paralyzed, unable even to close his eyes. As painful as it must have been, his face remained controlled, and determined. No rage. No sorrow. 

And to Raiden’s credit, he was remorseful. This sort of miscalculation was rare, but had happened enough that the god knew exactly what to do. The paralysis was only temporary. Little by little, he would regain control of his body.

He offered to return the Lin Kuei grandmaster to Arctika, but Hanzo vehemently refused. Leading him out under false pretenses was one thing, but returning him in this state was enough to pollute the truce between the two clans. On a more shallow note, he knew that Kuai Liang would never forgive himself for allowing his people to see him vulnerable. So Hanzo announced that he would personally care for Kuai Liang until he was well enough to return on his own.

The first few days were worrying. He regained control of himself, starting at his head. Hanzo tried to explain, but there was no need. He knew, he’d heard it all. Kuai Liang was very, very aware of his situation and that he was helpless, even though he was safe in the company of the Shirai Ryu grandmaster.

Hanzo did what he could to ease Kuai Liang’s discomfort. He bathed him while he slept so that he always woke up clean without the indignity of being vulnerable, even if it was just being nude in front of a trusted ally. He fed him anything requested. Sat him up and moved his body so that he would not atrophy. Kuai Liang didn’t protest or refuse Hanzo’s help, but he remained silent and as self-contained as possible.

Hanzo hadn’t even realized the top half of his body had recovered, until he saw the man sitting up and stretching.

“How are you feeling?” Hanzo asked hesitantly. 

Kuai Liang was sitting in a chair, facing the window. In just a few weeks, he had changed. His facial hair had grown so thick, almost as thick as that fateful tea that changed the course of their lives forever. 

His face had become harder, even more than the impenetrable mask that it usually was. Kuai Liang was a fascinating man. He was an admirable leader, never swayed by emotion or relationships. Hanzo referred to him as a friend and while Kuai Liang didn't argue it, he never strayed from his preferred term: “allies.”

Looking at him now, he was the essence of calm. Hanzo admired that. Being around Kuai Liang for such an extended period, he found himself enjoying Kuai Liang’s presence. 

“I have no complaints,” he responded simply.

“How much feeling have you regained?”

That, he didn't answer. Hanzo waited. He learned that Kuai Liang’s silence was not always a dismissive refusal. Often, it was his clumsy attempt to avoid antagonizing. 

Finally, he turned. “I would like to be conscious the next time you bathe me.”

Hanzo fought for his composure. Of all things, he did not expect this. “I… have I offended you?”

“Is it so strange for a man to wish to have some control over his hygiene?” Kuai Liang asked. 

Relief swept over Hanzo. “No. No, I suppose not. I will return mid day.”

Kuai Liang acknowledged this with a mild sound of approval before turning and staring back out the window. 

—--

Could he know?

This was not good. At all. 

Hanzo considered asking someone else to bathe Kuai Liang. He considered refusing and waiting until night to continue their ritual. 

It was ridiculous. Him, the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster, attempting to avoid conflict. 

He had seen men naked before. It came with being a warrior. Kuai Liang’s body was not much different than his own, though he appreciated the special privilege he had seeing it relaxed, in its most vulnerable state. 

Bathing him was not at all taxing nor complicated. He had done the same for many of his disciples, so much so that he performed the courtesy with professional and detached efficiency. 

No… the problem was a bit more complicated than that. 

As soon as Hanzo would begin his task, Kuai Liang would become… aroused. 

This too, was not out of the ordinary. The ways of that particular part of the body were not to be taken seriously. The first few nights, Hanzo ignored it. 

But it would not be ignored. 

As soon as he received contact, he would take a shuddering breath and moan softly, reaching a full erection within minutes.

It wasn't possible that Kuai Liang was reacting to him. He had no feeling in his entire body. He was asleep. He couldn't even feel. 

But somehow he did. And somehow he was. 

The past few nights, Hanzo had cut the bath short because he simply couldn't bring himself to wash below his waist. The more Hanzo touched him, the more it throbbed and the more Kuai Liang would start making sounds. 

Even more confusing… Hanzo found that it was having an effect on him as well. Seeing him, hearing him, touching him as clinically as he could, put more forbidden images and actions in his head and he would soon find his fire heating his blood and directing it to his crotch. 

Hanzo struggled to accept this attraction. His friend was in the most helpless position he'd ever been in. Depending on Hanzo to abide by his noble promise. And he was getting turned on by Kuai Liang’s body having a perfectly normal human function. 

His milky white skin… the rare serenity that graced his face… very, very few beings were privy to this experience of Kuai Liang and it only added to the intimacy of the bath. 

And perhaps that was all that Hanzo missed. Intimacy. 

—--

Despite Hanzo's insistence, Kuai Liang wanted to try walking to the bathroom himself. 

He admitted that he still couldn't feel his legs but was determined to “wake them up.”

It went as disastrously as Hanzo expected and ended with him carrying his injured friend to the tub himself. 

Kuai Liang's eyes never drifted from Hanzo's face and with the man in his arms, the tension was too intense to ignore. What was he thinking? Kuai Ling’s eyes were always moving, always sizing up what was in front of him. People, surroundings, situations. They were sharp and critical and guarded. 

When Hanzo finally had to look at him, to set him in the waiting water, he couldn't help but pour himself into those eyes and look into the receding irises that allowed him to see himself. Perhaps as Kuai Liang saw him. 

Wanting. 

Kuai Liang held onto his arms as he was lowered into the welcoming grasp of the warm water. His skin began turning a blotchy pink, something Hanzo thought would help. But it only added to his unashamed vulnerability. 

“Since you have use of your arms, perhaps you would like to–”

“I still need your assistance,” Kuai Liang interrupted. “There are places that I cannot reach.”

Hanzo tried not to think of those places nor the expectant look on Kuai Liang's face. He grabbed the washcloth and soap and settled himself beside the tub. 

“You are not coming in? It would be better for your range of motion,” Kuai Liang pointed out. 

Hanzo really didn't have an argument for that. He usually did this nude, but had remained clothed to preserve some sense of modesty. “I suppose you are right.”

“Why is this water murky?” Kuai Liang asked as Hanzo began to disrobe. 

“The water is clouded due to the herbal remedy added. It is to relax your body and draw out any impurities.”

“I like it,” Kuai Liang said, watching Hanzo ease into the water. 

It shouldn't have been awkward but Kuai Liang being awake was an uncomfortable element in this ritual they shared. 

“I would like to shave,” Kuai Liang said. “Could you cleanse my face and my hair?”

“I believe those areas are within your reach.”

“My arms are still weak from the paralysis,” he argued. 

Hanzo sighed and Kuai Liang stared at him. “Would you prefer not to help me?”

“It's not– I must atone for you getting injured in my territory,” Hanzo explained, coming closer. 

Kuai Liang stared at him, with eyes still dilated and wanting, as Hanzo held his face and gently washed his face. Though he had done this many times now, Kuai Liang’s very awake, yet still face gazing up at him, following his every move. His respiration was a feather’s touch, a light tickle that reminded him of how close they were, without damage. 

After he put the shampoo in, he began to massage Kuai Liang’s scalp. The cryomancer immediately closed his eyes, leaned into Hanzo’s touch, and sighed. 

It was such a small sound to come from a ferocious man. 

The shampoo began to lather but Hanzo was no longer paying attention. His focus was on the little relieved huffs and sighs escaping Kuai Liang, the twitches of his face, as if he was fighting the natural desire to just enjoy the attention. 

He leaned forward, as close to Kuai Liang as he could without his lips touching his ear, and whispered, “Relax.”

That familiar moan escaped him and Hanzo wasn't sure if it was true relief, but Kuai Liang sank under his touch. 

Then his eyes popped open and he sat up, ears reddening. “Hanzo, I… please don't think me a savage for this–”

All this time, Hanzo thought that Kuai Liang knew, was setting him up for… whatever. He laughed. “It is perfectly natural.”

“It–” His hands disappeared below the water. “I need to… take care of it.”

“Can I assist?” Hanzo asked, before he could even think to stop himself. 

Hanzo could see Kuai Liang struggling to process the situation. Perhaps he was wrong and this truly has not crossed Kuai Liang's mind. 

“It would be wrong of me to accept without confessing that I… have dreams of this,” He admitted. “But I always awaken before… this.

Was this a confession? Before Hanzo could respond, Kuai Liang continued. “I have imposed upon you enough, Hanzo. You have already done far more than our alliance–”

His body seized as Hanzo reached in and grabbed his cock. “Do you still reduce our relationship to merely an alliance?”

“I-I. Oh, I ahh.” This was an entire new level to the intimacy they had developed. Eloquent, man of few words. Now completely tongue tied under the aisle of Hanzo's expert hand. 

He was no stranger to “taking care” of this problem. He had plenty of practice on himself when the nights got a bit too lonely to bear without human touch - even if it was simply his own. 

“Kua Liang,” he warned, stopping his stroking and giving the swollen head a squeeze. 

The cryomancer bucked his hips and shuddered. “I couldn't lose you too.”

“What?”

He looked so crestfallen that Hanzo resumed his task in slower strokes. 

“I-if I saw you as more than an ally… The gods would see fit to take you away as well,” he explained through small sighs. “I was already punished for being here for reasons outside of our alliance–”

“Wait–”

“My body was entirely paralyzed and still, I had fantasies of you–” He used Hanzo's shoulder to pull himself up and closer. 

“You feared losing me?”

“I do not fully understand these feelings but–” Hanzo cut him off with a gentle kiss. A chaste contact of their lips, accompanied by the aggressive tugging of his erection. 

It was too much. Kuai Liang moaned against his lips as he came, a small eruption that he trusted against Hanzo's hand. 

His eyes were closed but Hanzo saw stars, a mountain higher than he could ever climb. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kuai Liang supporting himself, breathing hard, with thick ropes of cum on his chest. Some of it had to be his, he deduced, noticing his dripping cock.

“You need a bath,” Hanzo observed. 

Kuai Liang cracked open his eyes and finally, that stoic mask broke completely into a smile. “Would you care to help me with that?”