#sentinels of light packs

[museofthepyre]

CAMP HERE & THERE SWAP! AU!!!

EVERYONE GATHER ROUND I NEED TO INFODUMP. This is going to be a long post, bear with me.

In this AU (constructed alongside the lovely @cecilsrandomeverything) is a protag/ antag swap AU, wherein Sydney and Elijah swap narrative roles, and so do Jedidiah and Adam. The rest of the cast are just swapped with their obvious counterparts (Joshua/ Yvonne, Rowan/ Juniper, Fennell/ Soren, etc)… though, there is also the less obvious swapping of Warren/ Matthew, and Lucille/ the Gravediggeress.

Titles:

Elijah, "The Angel"

Sydney, "The Miracle"/ "the Black Cat Man"

Adam, "The Vivisector"

Jedidiah, "The Horologist"

Ms. Graves, "The Sentinel"

And Lucille, "The Puppeteeress"

General Plot:

Everything pre-limn is almost exactly the same. Jedidiah and Sydney live their messy little lives, until Sydney starts wilting— Jedidiah delves into dangerous unknowable ‘magic’ in attempts to save him, but it’s not working. It’s only making him worse, and his time is running out. In a desperate Hail Mary effort, Jedidiah kills and resurrects Sydney… successfully*.

Sydney wakes up in hospital, having emerged from a long coma. The first thing he sees is a figure standing over him, haloed by the bright white lights of a hospital ceiling. Sydney saw an angel… tending to him with caring and dutiful hands, guiding him back to the realm of the living. He could feel a bruise-like ache throughout his body from where death itself had gripped him. He… had died. He knew he died, and that’s all he was certain of in that moment. He’d kissed heavens gates, and still retracted his lips from the cold metal… It left the taste of copper in his mouth. But now, somehow… he was alive again. He was alive enough to look up, all milky-eyed and dreary, at the angel who awoke him. He who preformed a miracle… divinity caged within a human vessel. Sydney felt he owed this angel a debt… he knew it would only be a matter of time before his body began to fail again. A good long life was just never in the cards for him. As he stayed in hospital, barely conscious or coherent, he came to believe that his saviour would only suffer the same fate. The body is a prison, its betrayal is inevitable and indiscriminate… even the most beautiful and holy creatures are not exempt. The body is a curse, and so, Sydney knew what he had to do with his new fleeting life.

Jedidiah must have messed up the ritual. Sydney came back, yes, but he came back wrong. So, so terribly wrong… he still… looked… dead. He was clueless to his situation, all spacey and confused… his memories were scrambled and blurry, and Jedidiah saw no spark of recognition when their eyes met. Seemingly, like a newborn fawn, Sydney had imprinted onto the first thing he saw (Elijah, who in this AU is a normal nurse). Jedidiah couldn’t accept this ending. He left Sydney there in the hospital, entrusting his care to the nurses while he isolated himself to research. He threw himself deeper and deeper down the rabbithole of forbidden magic, until he was in so deep that he could no longer see the sky above. He became lost within the unknowable… he let it consume him. He’d let it transform him. Whatever the Conductor was: some spector of the astral plane, visiting dreams to share unknowable knowledge with those who sometimes recognize his form… that’s what Jedidiah became. Jedidiah A A Martin is missing, with no body to be found. His childhood room (which he had been staying in during all this) was found in-tact, showing no sign that Jedidiah had packed up to leave. On his desk were journals filled with unintelligible writing, which slowly devolved into frantic scribbles with each passing page. Soon after… Sydney went missing too! What odd timing… he seems to have up and vanished from his hospital bed at the same time that two nurses left the job.

Elijah and Adam, who’d been college roommates a few years prior— with Elijah studying nursing, and Adam studying psychiatry. They were friends in all respects… which Elijah found himself feeling lucky for. He’d always struggled to keep friends, so when someone as sociable and charming as Adam took an interest in him… he felt indebted to the kindness. Elijah (as he does in normal CHNT) struggles with mental health… he really clung to Adam, and Adam was just as eager to be there! There to listen to him vent, help him stay grounded to reality, offer up advice, and to ask questions… lots of questions. So so many questions. After a few years, Elijah found himself feeling like Adam’s personal case study rather than a friend. As if the most interesting thing he could offer was a mind so profoundly broken that it was a spectacle to observe- something to be poked and prodded at, to see how it’ll react… but that’s impossible, Adam was his friend! He’d confided so much in this person, how could he not be? Adam told him not to seek therapy elsewhere, since Adam would help him for free! And, yknow, you can trust him, he has a psych degree. When the stress of working in hospital got to be too much for Elijah, and he began to think about staying with family for a bit… Adam was quick to provide an alternative. Adam was a social guy with many strange and unusual connections, and he just so happened to have the perfect suggestion! A much less stressful nursing position, at a summer camp run by a “Ms. Graves”, whom he raved about with high regards. They could go together! Take a little break, get away from it all… and so they did.

At Time of Series:

Adam and Elijah are co-nurses at Camp Here & There, or well… Adam is more of an assistant nurse at this point. He seems utterly distracted by Elijah’s condition, poking and prodding his way into the man’s head with words like cold, sterile medical tools. Pinning him down to an inescapable sort of “friendship”, even though their relationship feels like nothing more than an artificially preserved husk. Adam is still always nice, but Elijah can never tell if it’s genuine or not. He misses when their conversations felt warm, he misses when he felt like a friend rather than a case study… or a paranoid asshole for doubting Adam’s sincerity. He puts on a cheerful face for the kids, and while some find him to be a bit *too* cheerful, they can tell he really does care. He’s well-spoken and delivers the morning announcements with a theatrical flare! Sometimes he’s a little too eager to share his feelings, but he does mean well. The kids really like him overall, they think he’s nice!

Adam is like an illusive celebrity around the camp, he’ll show up and be very energetic and engaged for a short period of time, winning the favour of all the kids with his fun fun chaos-enabling… and then he’ll disappear! Back to his office, leaving Elijah to clean up the mess he made. Nobody knows what he’s up to in that office. Last time Elijah got a peek, he saw the walls COVERED in framed pinned insects and taxidermy… and stacks of notebooks, the ones he’s always scribbling into after speaking with Elijah. Adam seems to know a lot more than he’s letting on.

Jedidiah is missing. It’s actually his college that made report of this, after he ghosted all his classes and no professors could reach him. Nobody could track down his mother either, and his father… his father had already passed. Elijah sees someone in his dreams sometimes, a dishevelled man wearing a lab coat and too many watches. His presence is accompanied by cacophonous rhythmic ticking, like multiple clocks all overlapping at different paces. He tells Elijah things he can’t know… he speaks like a frantic and incoherent madman, it’s all so bizarre. And yet, Elijah can’t help but think he looks oddly familiar.

Then there’s Sydney, who… just up and vanished from his hospital bed. Who knows where that guy is. Although there has been a mysterious figure spotted lurking around the campgrounds… draped in layers of tattered black fabric, covered in moss and mushrooms, and wearing a strange black cat mask. They’ve been caught leaving random things outside of Elijah’s bedroom in the nurses cabin… little shiny rocks, bones, pinecones… one time an entire fairy ring grew around the cabin overnight. Nobody knows what he wants, but it’s been reported that those who see him are overcome with an overwhelming existential awe… dread and wonder in equal amounts, makes you want to sob your eyes out for the universality of pain, and dance for the love of the sunlight. The only exception to this is Elijah, who upon seeing the ‘Black Cat Man’, feels a strange sense of obligation— of care and concern, for a reason he can’t pinpoint. His guard lowers and all sense of danger melts away… he feels compelled to care for this stranger, like he would a patient. A patient who can do him no harm, still and quiet in their hospital bed. Of course, the questions and red flags all come back once the Black Cat Man is out of sight... but which reality is he to trust?

Running the camp is Ms. Graves, a mysterious lady who is rarely seen or heard from. She only seems to communicate through written letters or using Adam as a proxy. She’s just a busy lady… she really is lovely to her staff!

There are also rumours floating around regarding the crawling fields beyond camp. A desolate span of colourless grasslands infested by bugs of all sorts, wherein the fabled “puppeteeress” dwells. Nobody has ever seen her, but they have seen those handsome wooden mannequins she enchants to do her bidding! They show up on the outskirts of camp quite often… their eyes may look inanimate, but you can still feel them watching!

Ok ramble over for now. I may be back with character doodles later. Also if you’ve read a suspiciously similar fic on AO3 with this exact setup, but it’s the au’s version of “the ceremony”… yes that is me :3 hello :3

[shuttershocky]

hiya shutters,

hope you're doing okay!! on a scale of sad wet cat to anxiety but with guns - how much are you looking forward to the jessica alter banner? if i can pick your brain for a bit, do you have any insights about her or the other ops coming our way?

Hi!

Jessica the Liberated is actually my favorite kind of 6 star: versatile, packing a lot of weird tech/utility, and damage high enough to do the job without being high enough that she becomes instapull Youtuber clickbait. As always, i don't recommend pulling beyond the guaranteed 10 roll when not on limited banners, since she can always spook you later (and will also definitely rerun), but I would raise her to E2max at once if I get her.

Jessica's big draw is that she's currently the only Defender with a summon—a shield that doesn't attack, and can only be deployed in the 4 tiles adjacent to Jessica, but has a +1 Taunt buff on itself. What's the point of a summon that doesn't attack you ask? There's 4 important pieces of info to consider

The Mobile Shield has stats almost as high as Jessica's, and is Block-2 to boot. When you consider that Jessica is a 6 star Defender, that's a really tanky summon. If you go all the way and max her module too, the mobile shield gets higher max HP and DEF than Jessica herself.

Jessica temporarily changes her direction to face the Mobile Shield. She's so far the only Operator able to turn around, useful when enemies try to surprise you out of nowhere, or when dealing with map gimmicks that involve Operator facing like Near Light's shadows.

Since the mobile shield doesn't attack, it can stall enemies that activate skills upon being attacked. Simply form an L shape direction (the long line is Jessica + shield, the short line is the enemy) so that Jessica herself can't shoot the enemy because the Shield is blocking them from entering her range. Flagbearers, Seaborn Reapers, any enemies whose ATK stats can't overcome the shield's DEF stats, you can stall them for a very long time, as the shield lasts 50 seconds.

It's not written in the skill descriptions on Gamepress but the Shield has +1 Taunt, meaning you can deploy operators after it and ranged enemies will still attack the shield. It's a free ranged tank on top of your regular tank! Oh and did I mention at E2 when the shield takes damage Jessica gets a 50% chance of getting +1 SP? If the shield draws fire, it also charges Jessica faster.

But let's say having a 2-in-1 tank package doesn't excite you. Let's go into her skills.

S1 is an infinite duration, AFK skill where Jessica modestly boosts her ATK and DEF by +70% while also increasing her mobile shield duration by +30s. As AFK skills go it's not the greatest, since it doesn't expand her modest attack range and the DPS is low at 800 (though has a modest 1000 DPH), and when it comes to AFK tanking you have Hoshiguma S2 (or my personal favorite, Croissant S1) to compete with, but if you need your AFK tank to also be dealing damage, it's not a bad deal. The mastery gains are huge too, Level 7 goes from 90 SP cost to 70, still large, but a 20 SP cut is a 20 SP cut.

S2 is a range expansion to Spreadshooter Sniper range, +75% ATK, speeds up her ATK interval to 0.3s from 1.2s, and has a very juicy 75% Physical and Arts dodge. Now Arts dodge is very rare even among dedicated tank units in Arknights, and 75% is also really damn high. For a skill that lasts 15 seconds and also boasts a very high 3.5k DPS, this is a damn neat tanking skill, even if still chance based. It should be noted that this skill gets a big upgrade when Sentinel modules are released, since the Sentinel module reveals invisible units inside a Sentinel's attack range. Limited but useful for most Sentinels since they only have two tiles of range normally, but Jessica's S2 expands it into spreadshooter range, making her both a decent invis counter while her really high DPS lets her kill them herself.

S3 expands her attack range by 1 tile, slows down her ATK interval to 1.8s, gives her +310% ATK and +80% DEF, while the Mobile Shield gets +170% DEF. If the mobile shield is deployed, Jessica fires a cannon shot that deals 250% of ATK as damage and stuns enemies in the AOE for 6 seconds. Uses 20 ammo.

Oh boy that description is so long I'm making a new paragraph for the explanation. It's funny, an AOE 6 second stun on a 40 second cooldown is practically Mostima's whole S2M3, except here it's just one feature tacked on to the rest of Jessica's S3. There's a ton of tricks you can do with the cannonshot I won't list down here (refer to the S3 section of this video if you want to learn them), but the general gist is this is a very high DPH (2.5k) tankbuster skill that gives Jessica 1.4k DEF and the shield 2k DEF, making the pair extremely tough. When you combine this skill with Jessica's ability to change directions, you have a very flexible skill that can AOE crowd, control tank, and tankbust all at once, and it uses ammo too so it won't waste any duration when there are no enemies. This lets Jessica S3 cheese enemies that freeze her (since she can't attack them, she won't run out of ammo so her DEF buff lasts forever), or lets her keep her DEF up the whole time while being pelted by ranged enemies she can't hit back yet. There are a ton of ways you can abuse this skill's various quirks, making Jessica the Liberated a favorite unit for players looking into making optimized clears for challenge stages.

_____

Now, whenever anyone talks Arknights meta, people always favor units that are the best of the best in one aspect (usually, DPS) and disregard everything else. However, I feel that's a bit disingenuous, given that Arknights' best game mode and probably the game mode that will outlive Arknights' live service itself is Integrated Strategies.

In the roguelike mode, versatility is king. An operator that can do two things but isn't the best at both will struggle to compete in normal Arknights when you can bring whoever you want, but when you're assembling a well-rounded team at the mercy of voucher rng? Suddenly second-best looks real attractive when they can also do a second role in a pinch.

Jessica the Liberated is one of the most valuable picks you can possibly get from a Defender voucher. Tanking? She can do it. Attacking? She can do it too. Anti-air? She's one of the very few Defenders able to do it, and she's also really good at it with S2. Crowd control? Cannon. Weird map layout? She can change directions. DP is tight? She costs 21, cheaper than a tank like Hoshiguma at 23. Invis reveal? She gets that too eventually, as if she wasn't packing enough options.

The only thing this girl's not doing is fucking healing, incredible given that she's interned at a hospital for years now and somehow came out of the experience with heavy weaponry and zero bandaids.

Ah but we're not done yet. Apart from packing enough utility in a single voucher to make Saria start sweating, Jessica also has a ton of different possible relic combos. To use Spinach relics with her cannon shot, simply deploy the mobile shield before S3, so as soon as S3 activates, she instantly fires the cannon with the Spinach boosting its damage. Any Phys+, ATK+, DEF+, or DEF- for enemies works as well as you would think on her too. Her S3 cannonshot can have its stun duration extended by relics, or deal extra arts damage by relics like Children's Puppet. Being a melee unit with extra range means Scout Scope works on her for both S2 and S3, while S2 having 75% Arts and Phys dodge means she can take advantage of dodge relics too. She's got a summon, so relics that boost summons can boost her shield, and IS4 has a new relic that boosts an operator's ATK when their summon is deployed too.

We can go on and on here, but you should get the idea now. Jessica never solved her anxiety, but she did bring an arsenal big enough to handle almost any situation you can throw at her. I think she's a great unit, and if you're a new player when you get her she's absolutely capable of being your rock.

[mechaknight-98]

Gathering CEDH Edition: Mana Crypt

Author's Note: The Optimization continues hopefully

After we finished teaching the girls the basics we went into the second half of the episode, playing a game of commander. As we set up the table and playmats (I had been trusted to get everyone relevant playmats) Aeri smiled as she unrolled hers. “How did you get this,” she asked me.

“Well, I know a guy who does excellent custom work so I had him do all of yours. He just needed high-resolution images,” I reply

“I love it,” Aeri says bright-eyed. When the cameras start rolling I lock in again as we all sit down and start playing. Our setup was a Two-Headed dragon.

Aeri won the dice roll so she went first. “Okay I will start with a Plains and pass.” next came Kkura who did an island into Sol Ring then an arcane signet. After that Jen. Jen started with Mountain into sol ring into Rakdos signet. After that Connor played a command tower suspended a Lotus Bloom and passed the turn. The next turn for everyone was unsubstantial as they mostly played more ramp. Except for Connor, He played Esper sentinel. He laughed manically.

Sakura looked at him worried until I assured her was not going to be an issue.

"Oh and how can you guarantee that," Connor questioned.

"Oh, that's easy. I'll kill him first," I said with a coldness that frightened the group. So to keep the tone light I added,

"Just kidding, but seriously though he won't be an issue," I assure Sakura. I don't want her first game to go poorly as it would look bad for the episode so I am going to intentionally feed her the win. Dexter makes the next significant play a few turns later by playing his commander. I killed it with a slaughter pact that I laid the esper sentinel tax on.

The next major play after that was Sakura’s which I let go without a hitch. After that, she kinda secured the victory with a combo of dual caster mage and twin flame.

After the game, Connorb Aeri approached me.

“Did you let Kkura win,” Aeri asked me. I nodded before replying

“People really like Kkura so putting her in a good light in her show and letting her have the victory was good for her show,” Aeri scowled at me while Connor laughed.

“Why would you do that,” Aeri asked confused.

“Because sometimes to win you have to lose,” Aeri scowled further before walking away with Aeri

“that was fun,” Aeri said to Connor. Connor nods as she cuddles up to him. Jen tenses up a bit which Aeri, and Connor notice. Before that can be addressed Kkura and Dexter arrive. He begins by loading up the van they were all in. When he’s done he hops in.

“Okay, we’re all packed up and ready to go Connor and Hiro.” Connor and I nod at Dexter, and Connor starts the van. Aeri sits next to Connor in the front row while taking selfies, getting you in a couple when the car stops. Dexter reclines his seat exhausted from filming.

Jen, brimming with excitement, exclaimed, "Woo! Let’s party," and everyone burst into laughter. It was then that the girls noticed Dexter’s Ogher Calibur tattoo, their surprise evident in their expressions.

“It’s just like yours, Connor,” Aeri squealed.

“Yeah, Connor and I got them a while back. We wanted them to match,” Dexter explained, while Connor watched the girls' eyes widen in the rear-view mirror. They turned to Connor and Dexter, already anticipating their question.

“We should all get matching tattoos,” Jen declared jubilantly.

“Yeah, and they should be Magic-themed,” Aeri chimed in.

They glanced at Connor and Dexter before deliberating on their choices. Jen took the lead in planning. “Mardu for me. Kkura gets Grixis, and Abzan for Aeri, but what about our three architects and helpers? They helped us build and streamline our decks so well.”

They all looked at Connor, except Kkura, who was focused on Dexter as he tried to go back to sleep.

“Jeskai for Connor, he was so tricky and hard to play around,” she said. Aeri nodded in agreement.

“Definitely,” she added, snapping her fingers. Aeri and Kkura voiced their agreement.

“So that leaves the ferocious Naya for our ferocious Dexter,” Jen concluded.

They finally remembered my presence, and all eyes turned toward me. "Feeding Sakura the win wasn't cool, but very cunning of you," Aeri remarked.

"Yeah, you're quite the sneak," Jen agreed.

"But cunning is Jeskai's thing," I replied.

"Wait, really?" the three girls responded in unison. I nodded intently.

"So, what does that leave us with?"

"Esper, Jund, Bant, Temur, and Sultai," I responded.

"Which one did you play today?" Sakura inquired.

"Oh, Mimeoplasm is Sultai," I responded. The girls giggled as they huddled around Yunjin's phone, presumably searching for symbols. Jen was the first to respond.

"Oh, that's perfect," they said, displaying a series of stylized symbols, each corresponding to one of us present. The last one was a Sultai symbol.

"This one is yours," Aeri explained, and I smiled.

"So even though we may be apart, we will always be connected by our bond," I said absentmindedly. Connor and Dexter exchanged a glance as the girls squealed at my "profound statement."

The girls agreed and began searching for tattoo parlors. They found one conveniently located next to a karaoke hall, so they decided to go from tattoos to karaoke. When we all arrived at the tattoo parlor, Dexter was roused awake by Jen. He looked around, confused.

“Wait, why are we at Mason’s spot?” Connor gave him a surprised look. Mason had done his other tattoo, which was on the other side of his collarbone, across from the Ogher Calibur. Mason chuckled upon seeing everyone.

“I should have known it was Connor and Dexter,” Mason said with a smile.

“I have no idea what’s going on,” Dexter responded.

“I see that you look tired. Get some good shots today?” Mason asked. Dexter nodded.

“So, who’s first?” Mason asked. The girls pushed Dexter to the front.

“Where do you want it, Boss?”

“What is it?” Dexter asked, and Mason showed him the image. Dexter sighed and turned to everyone. He pointed at Connor and scowled. “You put them up to this, didn’t you?” Connor shook his head, and Dexter shrugged. “Well, then just on the back of my neck, right at the collar line," Dexter explained.

Mason nodded and got his stuff ready. When he was done, Dexter got up, and the girls, except Yunjin, who was tall enough to see it, all jumped as they inspected it. The girls marveled at it. At one point, as everyone watched, Connor swore he saw it move. Yunjin, Giselle, and Connor all exchanged glances, and then Kkura went next. She solidified the placement of the tattoos by getting hers in the same place. Jen groaned,

“Ah, Wae Kkura unnie, why did you get yours there?”

“They’re supposed to match, right?” Kura questioned. When she finished, she went to sit down in Dexter’s lap. She looked incredibly comfortable and small there, Connor observed. Connor was next, and as he approached, Kkura spoke up.

“Thanks again, Connor Oppa, Hiro Oppa, and Dexter Oppa, for helping us.” Dexter had spaced out, as usual, leaving Connor and me to be the only present ones.

“You’re welcome, Kkura,” he said, smiling.

After we finished we all piled into the Karaoke joint next door. The girls and Connor all ordered drinks. Since Dexter and I don't drink we got soda. He got root beer, and I got Sprite… or whatever clear lemon-lime soda they had.

"Okay, We all know what music Connor and Dexter like so Hiro you do the first song," Yunjin insisted. I squinted before shaking my head.

"Nah I am too weird you don't want to see my favorite genre,"

"Why is it Emo," Aeri asked. when I didn't respond Giselle smiled. "It is! Well, now you have to sing it. I love emo," Aeri said. I groaned while Connor and Dexter laughed. I got pushed up. I scrolled through the list of thousands of songs looking for one that sings to me. after 15 minutes I find it and started play.

[acronym-chaos]

The End Inspired ID Pack

[PT: The End Inspired ID Pack].

[ID: A purple thin line divider shaded at the bottom. End ID].

Names

[PT: Names].

Adrian, Alaric, Anatole, Anubis, Ashford, Asphodel, Azrael, Balthazar, Blaise, Bram, Calvert, Charon, Clive, Corbin, Damien, Darian, Delilah, Drusilla, Elara, Enoch, Erebus, Everett, Fabian, Finnegan, Faust, Gethin, Grim, Hades, Halcyon, Harlow, Helene, Idris, Ingram, Ira, Jasper, Kieran, Lachesis, Lazarus, Leland, Lenore, Lisette, Malvern, Mara, Marlowe, Mercer, Mortimer, Nox, Orson, Peregrine, Phobos, Quentin, Requiem, Roderick, Rosamund, Sable, Sabine, Samael, Sepulchre, Sinclair, Solomon, Styx, Thanatos, Thorne, Tristram, Uriel, Valdis, Valeria, Verity, Victorine, Vlad, Winslow, Wren, Yvaine.

Pronouns

[PT: Pronouns].

Ae / Ab / Abyss; A / Ash / Ashes; Bane / Bane / Banes; Cin / Cinder / Cinders; Du / Dusk / Dusks; Ebb / Ebb / Ebbs; En / End / Ends; Fade / Fades / Fades; Gra / Grave / Graves; Hu / Hush / Hushes; Ni / Nil / Nils; Pale / Pales / Pales; Re / Res / Rest; Ru / Rui / Ruin; Si / Silence / Silences; Sle / Ep / Eps [Sleep]; Still / Stills / Stills; Tomb / Tombs / Tombs; Vo / Voi / Void; Whi / Per / Pers [Whisper]; Wrai / Wraith / Wraiths;

Titles

[PT: Titles].

An Epitaph of Silence; The Bearer of Finality; The Collector of Departed Souls; The End of All Things; The Fading Light; The Final Observer; The Grim Reminder; The Inevitable Conclusion; The Keeper of Eternal Rest; The Last Sentinel; The Shadow at the End; The Silence Before the End; The Warden of the Final Hour; Whisperer of the Last Breath; [Pronoun] Who Heralds the End; [Pronoun] Who Watches Over the End; [Pronoun] Who Whispers the Last Truth

[ID: A purple thin line divider shaded at the bottom, end ID]

Requested by anon!

Also tagging: @pronoun-arc @id-pack-archive

[softsan]

NCT WEREWOLF AU (AESTHETIC)

A remake of this: X

Taeyong

alpha

seven hundred and one years old

suspicious and dubious of humans

puts his pack above all

can be rash and unforgiving

encounters his mate on a non-routine hunt

mate: councilman's daughter

Taeil

elder

eight hundred and fifty-six years old

oldest member of the pack

works as an adviser to the alpha and the betas

breaks up and resolves pack conflicts

stumbles onto his mate who's wearing a disguise

mate: physician

Johnny

hunter

four hundred and eighty-nine years old

has the best sense of smell in the pack

the pack's number-one tracker.

exceptional at mauling his enemies.

left heartbroken by his mate's rejection

mate: rival pack member

Yuta

hunter

four hundred and sixty-seven years old

incredibly quick and stealthy

is labeled the 'ambusher' for his cut-throat hunting tactics

despises the prospect of a mate

believes fate is cruel and callous

mate: city guardian

Kun

beta

six hundred and eighteen years old

second in command

rules in taeyong's absence

known to be morally strict and stern

goes against his beliefs by stealing his mate away

mate: stolen bride

Doyoung

delta

five hundred and thirty-two years old  

is the support unit of the pack

on standby to fulfill the duties of ill or injured packmates

finds himself in a hopeless situation

accidentally marks his mate in a poisoned haze

mate: north's princess

Ten

head scout

five hundred and sixteen years old

has an unparalleled control of his inner wolf

works as the pack's eyes and ears in the city

warns the pack of dangers outside their territory

overcomes his heartbreak by meeting a nifty pickpocket

mate: thief

Jaehyun

delta

four hundred and forty-nine years old

strongest member of the pack

formidable opponent in battle

responsible for guarding the pack's territory

comes across his mate in the scorching sands

mate: she-wolf

Winwin

sentinel

four hundred and three years old

routinely patrols the pack's territory

greats new visitors and learns their intentions

will harshly punish aggressive and disrespectful intruders

accidentally kidnaps his mate instead of his actual target

mate: royal governess

Jungwoo

scout

three hundred and twenty-one years old

has great command of his inner wolf

can avoid shifting on a full moon

gathers and shares information for the pack

blown away by his sweet mate

mate: royal maidservant

Mark

delta

three hundred and twelve years old

known to be sunny but stubborn

incredibly fast learner

teaches hunting skills to younger pack members

saved by his mysterious and magical mate

mate: thread coven witch

Renjun

salutary

two hundred and sixty-three years old

is the pack's herbalist

makes tonics and concoctions for his fellow wolves

plagued by dreams of the past

gives the cold shoulder to his mate

mate: old soul

Jeno

hunter

two hundred forty-eight years old

a distinguished pack fighter

often organizes hunts

is the first to volunteer to go on nightly patrols

captured by his formidable mate

mate: general's daughter

Haechan

omega

two hundred and twenty-four years old

rash and impulsive

has poor control over his inner wolf

frustrated by his low status within the pack

taken in by his beloved mate

mate: baker

Jaemin

hunter

two hundred and twenty-two years old

very talented tracker

is the most versed with their territory's terrain

lovestruck by the idea of love and fate

has his memory wiped by his elusive mate

mate: siren

Xiaojun

scout

one hundred and eleven years old

has mastered controlling his inner beast

recently elevated to the position of scout

is eager to prove himself within the pack

rescues his mate from the cruelty of humans

mate: seer

Hendery

hunter

eighty-three years old

loves running under the moon's light

known for his great speed and stealth

recently elevated to the position of hunter

taken down by his fearless mate

mate: assassin

YangYang

omega

twenty-three years old

only recently had his first transformation

is the pack's forager

searches for plants and provisions to help feed the pack

is reunited with his childhood friend and mate

mate: greenskeeper

Chenle

pup

twenty-two years old

is eager for his first transformation

spent his early years on the run with his aunt

thankful to be accepted into a pack

ambushed by his wicked mate

mate: star coven witch

Jisung

pup

twenty-one years old

is nervous about his first transformation

last to join the pack

spent years hiding underground from humans

shyly taken by his doting mate

mate: seamstress

[fluentmoviequoter]

Better Off Without You

Part 2 of Better Off Without Me

Pairing: Victor Vale x fem!reader

Summary: Ten years after Victor pushed you away, you meet again. Your roles have been reversed, and Victor must work to show you that he wants you. First, he must deal with your reluctance to be near him.

Warnings: spoilers for Vicious, mentions/depictions of insecurity, angst, fluff

Word Count: 2.9k+ words

A/N: Title from better of without me by Matt Hansen (Spotify link).

Picture from Pinterest

“Victor,” you coo. “C’mon, we have stuff to do. Wake up, sleepy head.”

“No.”

Victor reaches out and takes your hand as he answers, though he doesn’t move from your shared bed. His answer is precisely what you expect, and the peaceful look on his face seems… completely out of character and slightly concerning.

You wake quickly and sit up with a gasp. The darkness is your only constant, and the empty space beside you serves only as a reminder of what you have lost. Textbooks and diplomas line the bookshelf across the room yet your college memories only remind you of what could have been different.

Less than twenty miles away, Lockland stands sentinel, where gothic architecture meets country club. The idea saddens you because once, you sat in Lockland trying your hardest to get close to Victor Vale. And then he pushed you away.

You want to forget Victor. The promise that you made to stay close is one that you could easily break, that you should break. It would only take a moment to pack up what truly matters and leave it all behind. But the 22-year-old Victor in your mind makes you stay; the Victor that leaned in close in the library and wanted your attention is the one you try to remember. The questions you had the night he let you go – although he let you go the moment he met Angie – continue to plague your mind. Looking back, Victor gave you every sign you needed to see that he wasn’t interested, he would never pick you, and that the dream life you wanted was just that: a dream.

You must get out of bed and escape your memories, so you get dressed and leave. As your mind races, you don’t notice which direction you are walking.

✯✯✯✯✯

Ten years have changed a lot of things. Victor Vale is nothing like the kid he left behind a decade ago. Now that he is free from the chains of Eli Ever, and from prison, and in a position to get everything he has ever wanted, Victor finds himself stuck. Every night in prison, Victor thought of the things he would get when he got out: a shiny, materialistic reward waiting in his future. Even as his mind wavered between which would be more rewarding, a comfortable bed or a room of his own, there was one constant. Victor craved someone more than any of the things he thought of.

“Hey, didn’t you go to school at Lockland?” Sydney asks from the backseat.

Victor clears his mind of his daydream, of a past that led him to a different future, and hums.

“It’s, like, ten miles from here,” she adds. 

“Too dangerous,” Victor answers quickly.

“Oh, yeah,” Sydney agrees sarcastically. “I’m sure the exact same security guards from the night you died are just waiting for you to show your face again.”

“Why the sudden interest in Lockland?”

“The kid has been in hotel rooms since we picked her up,” Mitch points out. “Surely a driveby in the middle of the night won’t hurt.”

Victor rolls his eyes; he is used to Sydney and Mitch teaming up against him (even Dol, when he’s around). He sighs but nods, and Mitch slows to turn toward Victor’s past.

✯✯✯✯✯

The only thing that has changed is the addition of one streetlight. In the minimal light, the stretch of sidewalk where you last saw Victor looks just as dismal as in your memories. A girl laughs on the other side of the tree, and you turn to walk away. Someone is blocking the path, and you freeze, unsure if you’re dreaming, time traveling, or incredibly unlucky.

Victor says your name and takes a step toward you. You match his step as you move back, keeping distance between you. The distance was his decision, he forced you back, yet he seems surprised by your movement.

“Vic, we…” Sydney begins, but she trails off when she sees Victor.

“You stayed close,” Victor says softly. “I thought that was just-“

“A trick to convince you to pick me instead of someone else?” you suggest as you remind him of what he said the last time you spoke. “But it doesn’t matter, right? If I don’t matter, which we both know I don’t, then where I live doesn’t matter either.”

“I-“ 

Victor can’t form a sentence and feels inadequate for once in his life. He looks at you and remembers what you used to be like. You were bright and open, and whatever light you used to have that you were kind enough to show Victor has been thoroughly put out. By him.

“I went to prison,” Victor says.

“I know,” you answer. You cross your arms as an added layer of defense, but your fight-or-flight responses are kicking in. You hate that you remember Victor knows all about those adrenal triggers.

“You said you’d stay close for me. If you meant that, my friends over there could use a safe place to stay, to lay low while everything blows over.”

Sydney and Mitch wave when you look over, and you fight the urge to ask Victor why he let other people trail along with him but was so against letting you in when he needed someone most.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you respond. “You don’t like me, Vic, so let’s just do what we do best and walk away from each other.”

As you and Victor continue staring at one another, you’re both feeling the same thing: reluctance. You want to be there for Victor, but he left once, and you know he will do it again; you invited him to get close once and have regretted it ever since. Victor, however, is only reluctant to stay with you for your safety. He has feelings for you, and they hit him with full force as he looks at the sadness in your eyes. The sadness and loneliness that he caused.

“Bye, Vic.”

You turn to leave, and Victor refuses to let you walk away once more. He has to do something before you are too far to reach. Again.

“I love you!” Victor calls.

The statement catches you, Victor, Sydney, and Mitch by surprise. You stop with your back to him and wonder if you really are dreaming. Victor doesn’t know where it came from, but he knows that it’s true. He may not even know what love truly is, but if he is going to find out with someone it is going to be you.

“I tried not to,” he adds. “I had to deal with Eli, and you were so close that it scared me. But don’t make me watch you walk away again, not without giving me a chance.”

“Stop,” you demand as you turn toward him. “You don’t get to walk back into my life after ten years and tell me that you love me. You broke me, Vic! I let you get close, I was desperate to keep you close, and you shattered everything I thought we had. I can’t do this again. I won’t do this again. You may think you love me, but I know you well enough to know that you don’t. Using me to get to the point that you need is not worth it, Vic. If you need help, say that, but don’t lie to me.”

“I lied to you once. And it wasn’t tonight.”

“Stop,” you repeat.

“I need you. You are the only thing I have ever needed.”

“Prison will make you think you need a lot of things.”

“Can you just, for a second, consider giving me a chance to show you that I am not the same as I was ten years ago.”

You chuckle, but there is nothing funny about losing Victor a second time. “I have no doubt about that… You have a week, and then, like it or not, one of us is walking away.”

Victor takes the chance, and as he follows you home, he decides to be selfish for once. He wants you, and he is going to get you. Of all the mistakes Victor has made in his life, two of them haunt him: not telling Angie how he felt, and letting you go. Now that he can admit that he loves you like he’s never loved anyone before, he wants you to be with him. A week isn’t much time, but Victor is going to use every moment to convince you and get what he wants.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you wake the following morning, you assume that running into Victor at Lockland was a dream. However, the noise that can only be described as chaotic coming from your kitchen makes you think differently. Mitch and Sydney are in your kitchen, and Mitch’s efforts to stay quiet are canceled out by Sydney’s excitement to be out of a hotel room (if only for a week).

“Sorry,” Victor mumbles as he walks behind you. “She doesn’t get out much.”

“Thanks to you,” Sydney adds quickly.

“It’s no problem,” you say softly. “I, uh- Do I want to know why you need to lay low?”

“Probably not,” Victor answers. “But if you ask, I’ll tell you.”

You move to the left to increase space between you and Victor as you shake your head. The reluctance from last night has strengthened, and you briefly consider locking yourself in your room until they leave.

Victor places a mug before you. “You still like it the same way?”

You nod and pull your favorite drink closer to you. Victor's actions and words align, but the stark contrast between the current Victor and the Victor that forced you to walk away years ago makes you hesitate. 

“Most people say, ‘thank you.’ Since you’re cute, I’ll assume you thought it,” Victor says.

Hearing the exact words you said to him in Lockland makes you look up quickly. Victor has that look, the one that looks like he might smile, and you smile at him before looking back to your mug.

“I’ll assume it’s still a hard pass on the hugs, too,” you whisper.

“Maybe you’d be surprised.”

You decide not to ask, and as you focus on ignoring him (as much as you can sharing a living space, at least), Victor realizes that your roles have completely reversed. You and Victor have traded words, actions, and responsibilities down to the smallest detail of your relationship. It’s like a dance, and Victor is already confident in his new position, but he has to convince you to trust him to lead.

After Sydney and Mitch leave to get Dol from the hotel, you and Victor are left alone.

“Why’d you disappear?” Victor asks.

He breaks the silence, and your brows furrow at his question.

“I asked you in the library, before everything happened, and you never really answered.”

“It doesn’t matter, Vic.”

“You do matter,” Victor promises. He leans forward to look into your eyes; his are serious as he holds your attention and repeats, “You matter.”

“At some point, though, you have to admit that your life was probably better. That you were, I don’t know, better off without me,” you reply.

Eye contact with Victor has never been easy, and you used to have to work relentlessly for it. Now, he holds your eyes with conviction and something else you can’t place.

“You disappeared because you thought I didn’t need you? How did that-“

“Vic.” You stand and tear your eyes from his as you add, “We’ve got a few days until we go our separate ways. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Why can’t you see-“

“No!” you interrupt. “I saw ten years ago, and you blindsided me. I’m smarter now, Vic, and I am not losing you again. I gave you space once, and maybe I never should have stopped.”

Dol barks at your front door, and you return to your room. It was a mistake letting Victor this close, and you don’t know if you can trust anything he says.

✯✯✯✯✯

Something happens during Victor’s fourth day with you. When you exit your bedroom for breakfast, he catches your eyes over the table and gestures toward your back door. Despite your doubts, you follow him. In the privacy of your backyard, you wrap your arms around yourself and wait for Victor to speak.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks.

You shake your head, and Victor looks away.

“I didn’t want to disappear,” you admit. “I came to see you in the cafeteria one day, but Angie was there. You looked so happy that I couldn’t- didn’t want to interrupt. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Vic, and I gave you the room to do that.”

“I-“

“You loved Angie. I could see it. So, when I heard she died, I thought you might need a friend. I was wrong.”

“Look at me,” Victor requests. “I am not giving up on you again, but if you want us to leave, we will.”

“I don’t know what I want.”

You wipe your hands across your cheeks as Victor watches. He wants to reach out and offer the soft touches you used to give him, but your reluctance to let him in is something he can easily see. 

“I have been hurting for ten years,” you whisper. “But I want it. I still want you, so badly, and I think I can trust you. I’ve been wrong before.”

Victor steps toward you, and when you don’t move back, he takes another step. When there are only inches between you, he holds your eyes with his again.

“I want you to be mine,” he murmurs as he raises his hand toward your shoulder. “Selfishly, thoughtlessly, mine.”

Sydney clears her throat in the doorway, and you and Victor look over simultaneously.

“Are you okay?” she asks Victor.

“I was better before you interrupted,” he replies. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you dying again? Do you have a fever or something? Because-“

“Syd, what is wrong with you?”

“You’re being… gross.”

“She sounds like you,” you murmur.

Victor takes a deep breath before asking Sydney to give him a minute.

“You have two days, Vale,” you say when he turns to you. “If you are willing to work as hard as I did, we’ll see where things go from there.”

“Tell me you can see it,” Victor asks.

“You’re not giving up on me again and unless I ask, you’re not walking away,” you reply. “I know. But I spent years fighting to get close to you. Besides, Sydney clearly thinks you have a parasite or something, so how am I supposed to know this is really you?”

Victor rolls his eyes and opens the back door. He follows you in, and when he sees your smile is back, he is glad he wasn’t dreaming when he saw you at Lockland a few nights ago.

✯✯✯✯✯

“I’m going to miss that mattress,” Mitch says as he packs his bag.

“Dol likes the yard,” Sydney agrees. “Back to hotels, I assume?”

Victor is still in the guest room, and you knock on the door before entering. He zips his bag and sits on the edge of the bed as you approach him.

“Did you mean what you said at Lockland?” you ask.

“Which time?”

“This one.”

“That I love you? Yeah. You’re one of the only things I needed- craved in prison.”

“Really?” you ask with a smile. “Because Mitch said you talked about getting a bed and a better toothbrush all the time.”

“In college, when you would talk to me, there was this light in your eyes,” Victor says. “I haven’t seen it in a long time.”

You reach out and smooth your hand over the shoulder of his trench coat. When he doesn’t move or comment on the touch, you step closer.

“Prison give you all the time and space you need?” you murmur.

“Something like that.”

 “Have you reconsidered my offer?” 

Victor looks up, and his almost smile returns. He clearly understands what you are referring to and moves his arms out.

“Test away.”

You step forward and hug him, and when Victor’s arms wrap around you, you believe him. Not what he said when Angie died, but everything he has said this week.

“Now that I’ve had one, we can’t stop,” you say against him. “So, I guess that means your hugs are addictive. We’ll have to test this further.”

Victor mumbles something, and you squeeze him. The initial reluctance you felt, the fear of being pushed away again, brought you closer to Victor than ever.

“You really love me?” you ask.

“I do. But-“

“You’re not perfect. I know; I’m not either. I don’t expect this to be easy, Vic. Surely you remember how hard I worked in college.”

“Seems like you’d get tired.”

“As if I could get tired of you,” you tease.

Victor pulls you into another hug and doesn’t move when the door opens. You push him away gently and see Sydney staring at Victor.

“Does this mean we’re staying?” she asks.

“It means I’m staying,” he answers with a shrug.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want, Syd,” you offer.

Sydney thanks you before watching Victor with her head cocked. “You’re weird,” she decides before she leaves.

“I didn’t want you to leave,” Victor admits. “The night that Angie died, I had unfinished business with Eli. After dealing with that, though… I’m ready to get what I want.”

“That’s me?” you ask. Your faux surprise makes Victor groan until you add, “Does that mean you’re selfishly, thoughtlessly mine, too?”

Victor looks into your eyes and smiles. “Forever.”

[soundprooft-visualz]

Humans are Space Orcs: Sentinel

Quanta sat outside a heavy vault door that had been sealed not ten seconds before she’d taken her seat. A deep breath caused the rebreather attached to her face to hiss as it filtered toxins out of the air for her to breathe in. Or at least... for her armor to filter out for her. Behind her sat the last bunker humanity had left on this miserable fucking rock. Even if it was a miserable rock, it was her rock. She’d been born here before the Frontier Wars had even started. She’d enlisted early, at 15, with forged documents after her little brother had been killed in a surprise bombing raid by the Xivaar. Behind the vault door, the last of the evacuation shuttles were being loaded by the last of the Planetary Guard, getting the only civilians left out before retreating themselves. It was a job that would take at least an hour. The issue with that was that the Swarm was only forty minutes behind them (and frankly, she had thought that was generous), and those claws would be through the tungsten door in less than fifteen minutes, less in the face of a swarm. Which meant someone had to but between five and fifteen minutes. At least she was pretty sure, math had never been her strong suit. The strong suit was wrapped around her body. A screech in the distance was picked up by the sensors, displaying a soft red pulse of light through the virtually constructed environment in the helmet’s visor. The multi-layers plates moved in tandem as she stood, picking up the heavy gatling railgun from the crate she’d left it resting on. A cable slithered out and linked to the weapon, and a crosshair appeared in her visor, moving with her weapon as the barrels started glowing blue, arcing with energy as she dug her heels in, watching the hills in the distance. She’d been picked for this because her teammates, Leopard Squad, had taken to calling her “The Great Wall of Quanta”. Hell, even she thought she’d earned that nickname. She was the only one who packed power armor after all, and the only one who carried weapons so heavy the exosuit struggled to move it. Even when the battery had run out during the Battle for Hill 249-B1, she gotten out and fought with her hands until she was dragged away on a stretcher. In her own words she was “one hard bitch”, and she intended to show these overgrown bugs just how true that was. Something skittered at the top of the hill and the sensors beeped. Quanta felt herself momentarily pitch forward before the suit’s gyroscope caught her, two rocket pods mounting up on her shoulders as the barrels to the railgun started to spin. There were scared people behind that door, behind her. She glanced down at the arm of her armor, where he unit’s insignia and motto was sketched. A squid, each arm holding a trident, faded into the words: 

‘For those who stand next to you, show them your respect

For those who stand ahead of you, show them cover

For those of them behind you, show them protection

For those who stand against you, show them no mercy.”

Quanta couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. She just couldn’t bring herself to be scared of the hundreds, maybe thousands of skittering legs charging her. She just didn’t care. 

Because she was a wall. 

And walls don’t care.

[thekiltongrammarwriter]

Whispers of Tiny Footsteps

Pairing: Pippa Fitz Amobi x fem reader

Baby Fitz Amobi junior inspector Headcannons

Warning: Utter fluff. Pippa Fitz Amobi stealing my heart.

Did not expect this to be so long.

Your heart races as you hold the positive pregnancy test. You’re a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, fear, and sheer disbelief. “Pippa,” you stammer, “we’re going to be parents. Can you believe it?” Pippa laughs, pulling you into a tight hug, leaving kisses on your forehead, your jaw, anyplace she can reach . “I can’t believe it either, love. But I’m so ready for this adventure.”

Pippa can’t stop talking. She rambles about baby names, nursery colours, and parenting books. “What if I mess up?” she frets. “What if I accidentally teach our child Morse code instead of nursery rhymes?” You kiss her forehead, the apples of her cheeks. “Pip, you’ll be an amazing mum. And I promise, no secret codes until they’re at least five.”

Pippa transforms the spare room into a cozy nursery. She paints the walls a soft mint green and hangs fairy lights. “Look, love,” she says, pointing at the crib. “Our little one will sleep here.” Your heart swells. “It’s perfect, Pip” you can’t help but say, bring her close to you, kiss the top of her frigid nose, “you are Perfect. Our baby will just love you”.

Pippa insists on visiting Harrods for baby essentials. She buys the softest blankets, designer onesies, and a mobile that plays classical music. “Our baby deserves the best,” she declares. You chuckle. “Pip, they won’t even remember the mobile.” “But we will,” Pippa replies, her eyes shining.

Pippa becomes a sentinel. She hovers over you, making sure you eat well and rest enough. “No heavy lifting,” she scolds. “And don’t stress. Our baby can sense it.” You roll your eyes. “Pip, I’m not made of glass.” “You’re carrying our child,” Pippa retorts. “You are made of glass” she scolds, moving to cup your jaw, lithe fingers holding your jaw in a firm grip. Her blue eyes staring into yours, “I want our baby to be healthy. I want you to be healthy. So no heavy lifting. If I have to call Ravi to do some heavy lifting I will. I’ve been needing to build that cradle in our room”. You lean your forehead into her chest, trailing your finger down her jaw, down to her neck. “I don’t think Ravi should help build it. After all you know how much I love watching you work with your hands” you whisper suggestively. Pippa blushes, “why don’t I get started on that now.” You laugh as you watch pip fly to her feet, eyes already trailing your figure. Hunger evident in her eyes. It’s only later when your backed up against your bed, a hungry pip laying desperate kisses on your sensitive neck that pip speaks. Her voice muffled by your skin. “Pregnancy makes you so much sexier have I told you that?”. You only blush.

“What about Agatha?” she suggests. “Or Hercule?”You laugh. “Pip, we’re not naming our child after fictional detectives.” “Fine,” she pouts. “But I’m still pushing for Mycroft”. Pippa arranges the nursery bookshelf meticulously. Agatha Christie’s novels sit next to Dr. Seuss. “Our child needs a balanced literary diet,” she declares. “Murder mysteries and whimsical rhymes.”You add a copy of “Goodnight Moon.” Pippa raises an eyebrow. “Is there a hidden clue in there?”

Pippa’s eyes widen the first time she feels the baby kick. “Sweetheart did you feel that?” You nod, tears in your eyes. “Our little inspector is saying hello.”Pippa presses her ear to your belly. “Inspector Junior, reporting for duty.”

Pippa packs the hospital bag like she’s solving a cold case. Extra socks, snacks, and a magnifying glass (just in case). “What’s the magnifying glass for?” you ask. “To examine our baby’s tiny fingerprints,” she replies. “And also to read the fine print on hospital forms.” Oh how you love this woman.

Pippa holds your hand through contractions. “Breathe, love,” she whispers. “We’ve got this.” When the pain subsides, she kisses your forehead. “You’re incredible.” “So are you,” you reply. Pippa is attentive to you, constantly holding your hands, kissing your cheeks. Josh is constantly waiting at the door, victor close behind, anxious to meet his grandchild. Leanne is constantly fretting over you, fluffing your pillow and wiping the sweat of your brow. “Just hold on a tad longer my loves” she encourages. Cara and Naomi come by, they bring board games and laugh over how protective pip is. But you love it. As labor progresses you no longer can have small moments of peace, pain is all you feel. It’s a deep primal pain that fills your veins. You cry, feel tears down your cheeks.

Pip holds you, chases the tears. “I’ve got you my sweet. Deep breathes for me” she says, eyes on alert. You had a history of holding your breathe when the pain got to high. Leanne is close behind, monitoring your oxygen level.

The moment they heard their baby’s first cry, Pippa’s eyes filled with tears. She kissed your forehead and muttered, “You’re incredible, love.” And she meant it. She watched as the tiny, wrinkled baby was placed onto your chest. A mess of pink skin and strong lungs that shook the walls. Leanne had smiled, “just like Pippa when she was born. Lungs made of iron”. “She’s perfect,” Pippa murmured, her voice full of awe. She hovered over the baby, checking her fingers and toes, making sure everything was in place. When a nurse approached, Pippa narrowed her eyes. “Be gentle,” she warned, as if the nurse were handling precious evidence.

“What’s her name?” Leanne had asked.

“Grace Fitz Amobi” Pippa had answered.

Pippa insisted on skin-to-skin contact, her shirt unbuttoned as she cradled their daughter against her chest. Grace’s tiny head nestled into the curve of Pippa’s neck. You watched as Pippa kisses her tiny forehead. You’re going to be brilliant,” Pippa promised. “Just like your mum.”

Josh and Victor were allowed in a few minutes after. Josh with his almost teenage voice had begged to hold her. Pippa had smiled, handing the small bundle into her brothers arms, “hold her gently now Josh” she corrected him. Josh was a natural, hoisting the baby against his chest and smiling widely. “I think I might love grace more than you Pippo hippo” he commented.

The car ride home was nerve-wracking. Pippa drove cautiously, her eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror, where their daughter slept in her car seat. “We’re responsible for a human life now,” Pippa said, her voice filled with wonder. You laced your fingers with hers. “I’m sure our parents felt the same” you reassure.

Pippa took the night shift, sitting in the dimly lit nursery with their daughter cradled in her arms. She’d read her research papers aloud, hoping Grace would absorb some knowledge. You would tiptoe in, watching Pippa’s face soften as she gazed at their daughter. “She’s got your eyes,” Pippa whispered. “And my curiosity.”

As days turned into weeks, Pippa marveled at their daughter’s development. She’d watch her kick her legs, fascinated by the tiny muscles in action. “Look at her,” Pippa would say, her voice hushed. “When she’s mobile it’s going to be a nightmare”.

Pippa, in her meticulous nature, once put the nappy on backwards. You had discovered it during a change and burst into laughter. “Well,” Pippa deadpanned her cheeks crimson , “I was just testing your observational skills.”

You had prepared mashed bananas for the Grace’s first taste of solid food. Pippa, ever the researcher, decided to taste it herself. Her expression? Utter disgust. “I can’t believe she eats that”.

Pippa introduced Grace to classic literature—board books with titles like “Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Rattle.” You had caught Pippa whispering, “Elementary, my dear Watson. The rattle thief strikes again.”

[collidescopeeyes]

would you be willing to do an f!reader and an unbound thresh (cinematic one) HCs about a researcher of the Shadow Isles (some sort of kind priestess type) who somehow managed to capture his interest bc her soul is unable to be caged and he's intrigued by her fearlessness...

Thresh with researcher!reader

- From the moment you meet it is the world's most intense game of cat and mouse, except you're both convinced you're the cat

- Studying the effects of the black mist on souls is your life's work–it’s an utterly fascinating and unique form of magic and if it can be understood, maybe it can be cured. That being said, studying it isn't exactly easy. The Isles are dangerous at the best of times and much of it has been ravaged by time–you’ve reached a dead end with simple observational means and were hoping you could learn more about the mist and what caused it by speaking to the shades bound to it. Some of them predate the mist after all–surely one of them has something to point you in the right direction?

- Your first encounter with Thresh is actually before he's unbound. Most souls you encounter are either violently insane, largely incoherent or generally uncooperative, so meeting one that can not only hold a coherent conversation but one so knowledgeable about the mist is like a dream come true! The fact that he has a flaming skull for a head and you're pretty sure his lamp is screaming is a secondary concern, you're getting good info here.

- He's very amused by your enthusiasm and probably indulges your curiosity far more than he normally would–it’s pretty rare he meets anyone who doesn't run screaming (which is fair, he’ll acknowledge that). You're the most entertaining thing he's seen in centuries, and waiting around for the Sentinels to kill Viego has been so terribly boring–so when you start packing up your notes and making to leave…well, he can't very well have that, can he?

- Honestly the worst part about having your soul ripped out of your body by ethereal chains is that it really disrupts your train of thought, and you had a great question about interactions with restoration magic you were about to ask. You have a brief moment of looking at your own body, and then there's a flash of light and you're back to normal, at which point you hurriedly thank him for the interview and hightail it the fuck out of there.

- Thresh meanwhile is stunned. Your soul was brilliant, blindingly radiant in a way he's never seen before. Trying to lash it to his lamp was like trying to hold oil with water–it just couldn't find purchase, and by the time he realised what had happened you were already gone. He gives chase, or course, but you survived this far for a reason and you're soon out of his reach, bound as he is to the Isles

- He's obsessed. He wants nothing more than to take that perfect, beautiful soul of yours and bleed it until it's as black and twisted as his. He stalks the Isles hoping to run into you again, but no such luck–still, he's had plans in motion to free himself from the Isles for a long time, and now he just has to wait. He can be very patient, when he wants to be.

- Meanwhile, you're an ocean away writing a dissertation on the Shadow Isles and the metaphysical properties of the mist, having a great time.

- He finds you in a library after he's unbound by complete coincidence, but he is elated. You don't recognize him, of course–he looks human, and you're too focused on your research to bother with some random stranger. Low-key he tries to charm you at first, but you're just like ‘sir I'm trying to work here’ so he has to reintroduce himself. Immediate fascination from you–how does a soul get free of the mist? Is he actually human now, or is it a shapeshifting thing? And oh, actually, could he finish explaining the properties of the waters of life? Your last conversation kind of got cut short when he tried to stab you. Oh no you're not upset about it, most souls you spoke to tried to stab you at the start of the conversation, he was actually very polite!

- He laughs so hard you get kicked out of the library. You suggest coffee instead. He agrees. He doesn't even need to eat or drink.

- His plan is to feed you tidbits of information about the Isles and the mist to lull you into a false sense of security and eventually tempt you into his clutches–after all, if he can't imprison you by force, he could chip away at you until you went to your demise willingly and unwittingly, and he relishes the challenge.

- Meanwhile you're thinking ‘this is great, I'm learning so much! He's definitely going to try and kill me at some point but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!’

- Normally the idea of breaking someone's spirit is satisfying to him, but the longer he spends with you the more the idea loses its shine–after all, you're so much more entertaining when you're lively like this, and the thought of your eyes going dull and hopeless like all of his other victims makes him oddly disappointed. But still, human lives are so short, and you've become rather dear to him–the best place for someone as special as you would be his lamp, where he can keep your soul safe and enjoy your company for all eternity~

- There's something fundamentally wrong with this man if you couldn't tell. He's possessive, obsessive, and he thinks morals are an unfortunate condition other people suffer from. He has no delusions about what sort of man he is: in life, he was essentially exiled to guarding the vault in total isolation purely because members of his order found him off-putting–there’s something about him that's just Wrong, and he knows that. There was no hiding it when he was human, much less with this veneer of humanity he now wears–but for whatever reason, you don't flinch away from him. Poor sweet girl that you are, you seem to be under the impression he's a person. But still, if you decide you hate him, you probably won't talk to him anymore and that would be a tragedy. Ergo, he’s trying to be Good so you trust him, but he only abstractly understands what Good is meant to be. Surely if he only targets people who deserve it that counts? He doesn't even kill them! He just, y'know, traps them in his lantern and subjects them to untold horrors for a little bit, but he lets them go after and in his experience that seems to scare people pretty straight. He's doing a public service! He's practically a saint!

- Low-key he's stalking you. Like he just shows up where you happen to be whenever he's not off doing crimes against humanity, but honestly in the grand scheme of things it's pretty low on the list of concerns–after all, he's a thousand year old immortal wraith, and while you're pretty sure he's not planning on murdering you anymore, his disregard for social conventions that aren't immediately useful to him ranks somewhere between ‘maybe we can work on a a version of our relationship where I don't get trapped in your lamp for all eternity?’ and ‘when I put you in the special thanks section of my publication, do I just call you Thresh?’ on the list of conversations you ought to have with him.

- He can be incredibly charismatic when he wants to be, so to you he comes off as very gentlemanly if a bit melodramatic. Overprotective like you would not believe, but he generally cedes to your requests and it's sort of endearing how invested he is in staying in your good graces. Weirdly intense at times, but he's an ancient undead wearing the thin veneer of a man so you figure that's to be expected. Still, he's very polite and considerate, and while he's definitely trying to con you into some kind of supposedly benevolent eternal damnation, he's also helping you proofread your paper, so y'know it's actually a pretty decent deal.

[radio-wavelengths2]

House wife sentinel save me house wife sentinel sav-

I’m sorry gang, I’ll pack it up now

(House wife in a light hearted way)

REAL house wife Sentinel /very affectionate

He can get back to his work later on just give him a break and a new baby 🫶

[swiftyangx12]

“With great power comes with great responsibility…”|Valorant x Marvel #1

[Synopsis]: Marvel inspired Valorant agents and the first one is a Spider-Man based agent.

[Gender Neutral!VP Agent]

[(A/N)]: The characters may be OOC and I’m open for criticism/help to improve.

[TW]: Possible spoilers of ATSV and some cursing

Let’s start with the first recent addition to the Valorant Protocol.

They’re from Queens, New York.

Somebody whose like the neighborhood’s friendly savior.

Well, I think it’s best if they introduce themselves to you…

Arachnis: “My name is [Y/N] [L/N]. I’m a Spider-based Radiant who got their powers from the First Light and not bitten by a radioactive spider. For about two years, I go by Arachnis, swinging around New York, stopping robberies, beating bad guys, protecting people and loved ones, the usual stuff. Then I was recruited by an organization called The Valorant Protocol where there are other agents like me who defend our world, Alpha Earth, from Omega Earth that keep stealing a material called Radianite that powers almost everything. I get to travel around the world and it was my first time using firearms. I’m one of the Sentinels of Valorant and sometimes I can go too far when defending my colleagues…

When I don’t have missions, I visit New York and reminisce about everything that happened before and after getting my powers.

I hope nothing goes wrong in the future…”

《🕷️》

[Valorant HQ]

Breach: *with his booming voice* WHO’S UP FOR GAME NIGHT?!

Arachnis: AH! *Jumps up scared and now stuck on the ceiling*

Brimstone: Breach, you scared them again.

Breach: Whoops, sorry!

Arachnis: You’re good. I’m coming down. *Lowers back down with a thread of silk* Hey.

《🕷️》

Phoenix & Yoru: *Arguing and being dumbasses*

Jett: *Frustrated* When are they gonna stop?

Arachnis: *Shoots their web at the two and sticks them against a wall*

Phoenix & Yoru: [Y/N]!

Arachnis: *Shoots more web at their mouths to shut up* Unless you two behave, stop arguing like Pre-K brats!

《🕷️》

[Location: SPLIT]

Arachnis: *Spider senses triggered* Fall back! Fall back!!!

Skye: ‘Rach? What is it?

[Something crashes in front of the VP team and they readied their weapons. It seems the threat obtain mechanical tentacles protruding through its backside and it look pissed.]

Chamber: What is that?

Arachnis: I don’t know. Just shoot at it! *Starts shooting at the suspect*

[Its tentacles intertwined together forming a shield and the bullets deflect.]

Arachnis: Fuck! *Sprints at the enemy*

Skye & Jett: Arachnis!

Arachnis: *Shoots their web and yank themselves towards the enemy* *Kicks it with great impact and traps the individual in more webs* *Then starts swinging it around, slamming the body left and right like the Hulk beating a Pre-Infinity War Loki*

[Far away from the map]

???: I think the anomaly is taken care of.

[The strangers watch Arachnis tears off the tentacles with their bare hands. They were horrified by the sight.]

???: Definitely taken care of.

《🕷️》

[Hours later]

[Arachnis ties the enemy up with more web and knocks it out of conscious with the butt of their Phantom.]

Skye: Wow. You tore it up worse than a pack of wolves.

Jett: We need to tell Brim about this.

Arachnis: We should. You guys go ahead. I think I dropped my melee somewhere. *Walks around the area*

[They crawl up on the walls of the structures, swinging around with their webbing, searching for their knife until they get introduced by some figures.]

???: Excuse me? Is this what you’re looking for? *Holds out the weapon*

Arachnis: Oh, my knife! Thanks. *About to grab it but Spider Senses triggered again* No way. Are you two also Radiants?

???: Radiants?

???: Sorry, we’re not. We came to pick up the anomaly. *Points at the unconscious suspect*

Arachnis: Anomaly?

???: And if it’s alright, could you come with us?

Arachnis: *Suspicious* …One second. *Speaks through their ear piece* Team, I think I’ll find another way back to base. Inform Brimstone that I’ll be back soon and I need to take care of something.

《🕷️》

[Earth-928, Spider Society HQ]

Arachnis: You mean to tell me there are others like me?

Gwen: Yes, and I think Miguel could use more people like you.

Arachnis: I…don’t think so. I’m part of the Valorant Protocol and already dealing with doppelgängers attempting to steal our power supply.

Gwen: We’re here. Miguel!

[Up on a ascended platform with hologram screens hued with neon orange, the one and only Miguel O’Hara whose back is facing out.]

Arachnis: Does he always do that? His back facing us?

Gwen: Always.

Miguel: You’re the one who took down the Doc Ock variant. *Finally turns to face down at them* All by yourself.

Arachnis: 씨발… [Ssi-Bal…] (Fuck…) You guys didn’t tell me he’s part Goliath Bird eater.

Miles: *Coughs from the sudden response*

Arachnis: He’s huge.

Miguel: Are you finished?

Arachnis: Yeah. Also I’m not joining as I’m already an agent with another organization.

Peter B. Parker: *Barges in* Wait! Before you go and never come back, would you at least tour around the place?

Arachnis: Okay? It won’t change my final decision.

《🕷️》

[Lobby]

Peter B. Parker: You were never bit by a radioactive spider?

Arachnis: Nope. I’m a Radiant. Got my powers from The First Light.

Miles: Have you always experienced near-deaths?

Arachnis: I dodge bullets everyday.

Pavitr: Have you lost a favorite family member?

Arachnis: My family and I had an Uncle Benny and he died.

Pavitr: Oh no. I’m sorry for your loss.

Arachnis: It’s cool. Nobody liked or missed him because he was dick to everyone.

Spider Gang: Oh.

Arachnis: We celebrate his death before, during and after his funeral like New Year’s Day.

Spider Gang: Oh.

Arachnis: Does that count as a canon event?

Jess: It’s better than never.

《🕷️》

[Back in VP HQ]

Arachnis: *Exits through the portal*

Brimstone: [L/N], where were you?

Arachnis: It’s a long story, sir. You may want to sit down for this one.

[Hours Later]

Arachnis: …And that is how I came back here.

Brimstone: It’s long, all right.

Arachnis: Told you. They offered me to join, but I can’t accept it. How can I fill in both organizations at once?

Brimstone: Have you discuss this with their boss?

Arachnis: *Frowns* Yes, and he scares me.

Brimstone: What are the arrangements?

Arachnis: I come by every Tuesday and Friday as their fighting instructor in that universe.

Brimstone: Anything else?

Arachnis: Some of the younger Spider-people want to visit this world.

Brimstone: *Sighs* More chaos.

《🕷️》

[Friday at the Spider Society]

Arachnis: *Babysitting Mayday this time* “'Cause we don't need permission to dance! Da-na-na-na-na-na-na, da-na-na-na-na-na-na!” *Dancing to the song*

Mayday: *Giggling happily at the little performance*

Arachnis: *Twirls around and spots HIM* *Throws a knife at his direct*

Miguel: *Dodges* Was that necessary?

Arachnis: Yes, and I got scared. I’m on Mayday duty so I’m protecting her. *Picks up Mayday* See you around, O’Hara. *Walks away with the baby in their arms*

[Reblogs helps creators and creates for more content]

[Tagged]: @hhurric4ne @l0serloki @luckyowl @radianights @redrage71890 @theladyheroine

[zargontari]

leans awkwardly against wall . why hello there

i don’t think (?) you’ve ever said anything about this, and i am very sorry if you HAVE said something about this, but what is this new TTTT species’ appearance like and/or what are they based on? stupid question but i’m stupidly obsessed with character design in general and would love to hear how you imagine the little blorbos! love your au as always c:

SO.

Let's talk about hothken.

A long, long, long time ago, two elder AI had a huge battle over a planet that was the home of a sentient species that "somehow" had slipped the radar. One genocidal AI, one protective AI, and the two sentinels that they brought to bear against one another.

As they fought their proxy war against killing machines they could only just control, too focused on each other to pay attention to the planet, one of the sentinels took a massive blow— sending a gigantic chunk of itself spinning at great speeds to impact the single, massive continent of the planet below. As it died, it made a final, desperate attack, and blew itself to hell, becoming briefly a new sun in the sky and killing not only the second sentinel, but the ship of one of the AI, and greatly damaging the other. One ship was blown into space; the other crashing into the ocean below.

The original species did not survive the attack that, in the end, was no longer about them, but the two AI that they had no knowledge of. Hundreds of years of infrastructure and millions of years of evolution became dust and ash; the continent forcibly separated and scattered in each directions by the blow that split it. The ocean, the largest known in any habitable world, rushed to fill in the gaps, becoming steam as the smoking wreckage burned. The sky blazed with the new sun. Anything on the surface levels of the oceans fried in an instant.

The battle lasted minutes, and killed quadrillions.

Now, we just give it a couple million years. Megaflora begins to spring up, stretching from beneath the waves. From the ruins of the great continent, new ecosystems have formed. Deep, deep beneath the waves, gigantic beasts roam the seas, unhindered by the last devastating attack, and allowed to grow.

But we're going to look a little higher up, within the root systems of massive trees not dissimilar to mangrove trees on earth.

Look at it;; (art by @batstabb)

This is a creature called an Ora; a pack-hunting, intelligent species that takes up the same space on the ecosystem's board as dolphins do in our world! With their head lights, they easily follow each other in the dark, as most animals in their ocean do not use sight to navigate.

This is what the Hothken evolve from! Primarily living in flotillas created mainly of lightweight rocks, wood and metals found in different parts of the world, they're still built for the sea, but they've become much more adapted to life on the land.

(our very own Joskia, as done by Rúe Moon on Twitter)

there's so much more I could ramble all day but alas, I have tired for now. Expect updates (a lot of lore has gone into these guys. Did you know that the second dead sentinel is in the planet's orbit, and passes behind their moons? And when it eclipses their sun, a kaleidescope of light hits the planet as the light shines through all the dead pieces? And that the thing's name is Carcass, because in their old religions they thought it was a dead god? That's pretty cool I think...)

Size wise, they're about five foot long (general rule) and eight feet long. They have slings to hold their tails up. If they leave the planet, they have to have environment suits because they can't stand the low humidity of other planets/ships. Their language mostly consists of clicks, whistles, and other tones like that.

[hydropyro]

Webs of Fate Chapter 6

ao3 link

CW: Abdirak and all he entails

Mentions of gore and violence

- - -

His blade cut across Zevlor’s body, and he felt the searing heat of the fiendish foul blood’s Hellish Rebuke. The final blow sent the tiefling patriarch, the proud and honorable warrior, crumpling into a heap on the ground. Alakvyr tried not to see — not to remember — the gore of his split skull, crushed inward under the weight of Alakvyr’s blade. The way the blood oozed forth, the way his horn sounded as it snapped. The bloodlust taught to him in Melee-Magthere had separated him in the moment from the carnage he brought.

After dispatching Zevlor he’d gone down to the Hellrider’s chamber. Maybe the artifact would be hiding there. Instead he had found cowering tieflings. They had struck out with their fists, but mostly they only begged for mercy at the hands of Alakvyr and Minthara. Their deaths had been swift — efficient — but absolutely merciless. He had a running count in his head, coolly detached from the heat of battle — how many lives he took — how many strikes it took for each.

He’d ransacked the Hellrider’s hovel, but there was little of value, and no artifact to speak of. Minthara had gone to the druids and may find it there. He stepped over the blacksmith’s body to dig through a satchel—

Alakvyr sat up in his bedroll, nausea gripping his guts. He dragged himself to his feet and left his tent, steeling his features lest the others worry about his resolve for the coming battle. He had been brainwashed and lied to — fed harrowing tales of a non-existent enemy — but he was still a drow of noble, though lesser, blood, well-trained in the finest academy in Menzoberranzan. If he knew anything — was ready for anything — it was battle. This battle.

Alakvyr hardly rested, and his reverie had been memories of when he’d raided the Grove at Minthara’s command. He wasn’t sure how these memories were even possible, since they hadn’t technically happened — but he was not one to waste energy trying to understand the intricacies of the universe or the gods that caused it. Even as an elf — life was too short.

The softest hues of blue graced the still-dark sky. It was a sleepy sort of color and was easy on the drow’s sensitive eyes. The lack of light, though, only solidified the fact that he had not rested well, and his body felt weary.

Looking around Lockpick was nowhere to be seen, but Alakvyr was not worried. Withers was a constant sentinel who, surely, would not let any harm befall them, so the vampire spawn was better off hunting. Someone lay beside the dying fire. For a heartbeat Alakvyr worried that he was dead, but saw the shallow rise and fall of breathing.

The drow added another log to the fire before he sat down near the sleeping Loviatan, careful not to disturb him. Abdirak looked uncomfortable lying awkwardly on his side on the cold, packed ground, but his sleeping features were slack with the purest peace.

The drow had never felt such peace and serenity when he had worshiped Lolth, and did not feel it now in service of Kelemvor, though he wouldn’t call himself a devout. In fact, for the first time in a very long time the only moment that had brought Alakvyr peace had been when he’d subjected himself to the Loviatan’s ministrations — thanking Loviatar for his assistance.

He wouldn’t think too hard on it now.

“Would you like to join me for morning prayers?”

The Loviatan’s pale eyes were watching Alakvyr, though the human hadn’t moved position -- awake, but his body still bent awkwardly as he lay on the cold ground.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Alakvyr said.

“You did.” The human sat up, and the elf could hear his joints creak and crack subtly as he did. “But that’s no issue.” He stretched his muscles for a long while, repositioning his body periodically as he did.

Alakvyr watched, curious. He recognised some of the stretches from his time in Melee-Magthere. He did not know for sure how old the Loviatan was, and was not sure if it would be rude to ask. Surely, as a human, he was not as old as Alakvyr in years, but was undoubtedly more mature.

“It is earlier than I like to wake, but given our plans for the day it is fortuitous. I would like to worship longer. You’re welcome to join.” With that the human stood and walked away from the fire, not waiting to see if the drow would follow.

Of course, he did -- if only not to be left alone with his thoughts and memories.

The human rounded the little shack where his tent had been erected and stood in the brush near the riverside. Alakvyr realized that he was beginning to undress and averted his gaze quickly to offer the man some privacy.

The Loviatan paid him no mind. He neatly folded his pauldrons and robes, resting them on a large rock before he began to wade into the water. The way he moved could have convinced anyone that it was a nice, balmy bath he walked naked into -- but Alakvyr knew better. It was late Tarsahk, and on colder nights dew would freeze just enough to glitter in the earliest morning rays. Days were comfortable, but there was no chance that water was.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked, feeling the freeze in his own bones despite standing dry beside.

The Loviatan laughed, and his pale skin was reddening against the chill and his usually pink lips were growing purple. Still, he waded about like it was a fine spa. “Cold is an excellent source of pain.” He raised his arms, looking upward to the heavens and Alakvyr could see his shuddering lips moving, but could not hear his words.

The drow started to remove his own clothes before he really had the conscious intention to. He would gain nothing from pleasing Loviatar, and he doubted that the evil goddess would grant her priest additional power on behalf of his suffering -- but he felt like he owed it to the torturer to partake -- at least in solidarity.

He almost screamed -- not so much in pain but in shock -- as he confidently took a long step into the slowly drifting water. It was like liquid ice. And, still, the older man just waded around, scratching at his own bare skin with his nails and muttering quietly, looking as at ease as if the waters were rolling with heat in a midsummer hot spring.

“Yes, child,” the Loviatan laughed, turning to glance back at the drow. “Don’t stop. Embrace the pain and keep walking.”

The Underdark was warm. Never cold. Never hot. Cool enough to wear light clothing or use a blanket if one desired it, but always steady and comfortable. The surface was anything but comfortable as far as temperature went. Between the wind, and the rays of the sun that baked the skin even in cooler months, to the chilly nights and dew that would freeze, and now this.

Still, Alakvyr grit his teeth and took another step into the water, both feet now submerged and freezing. If he stood perfectly still he almost felt numb, but any motion reminded his unaccustomed skin that it was ice. It was so cold that it burned.

“Let Her hear you, dear one.”

“I don’t hear you,” Alakvyr complained, though a squeak of discomfort as another shot of ice shocked his system escaped him.

“I’m more practiced.” The Loviatan explained. “The pain is still there -- but it would be insulting to make up reactions. She feels it in me, and she appreciates it all the same.”

Before Alakvyr could respond the human disappeared, submerging himself fully beneath the water. When he stood back up, his hair slicked back, he heaved in a breath followed by a cry -- of pleasure and pain. His teeth clattered, but his body was still as at ease as it had ever been. With each exhale for a while he groaned and panted, and his nails continued their work on his skin.

“I don’t think I’m doing that,” Alakvyr said. He’d managed a few more steps toward the Loviatan, the water up to his knees where the human was beyond his waist.

The man nodded knowingly. “It is a gradual process. The pain I can withstand and use to offer to my goddess would likely kill you.” He smirked, seeming almost giddy in the icy water.

Alakvyr frowned, though he supposed it was not untrue. He took another step toward the human, determined to get a little further, before his foot slipped.

Drow were sure footed and nimble. But Menzoberranzanan Drow weren’t accustomed to numb feet in freezing rivers.

He would have gasped had his head not been completely submerged. Alakvyr flailed in the water, unsure for a moment which way was up as he tried to get purchase on the slick rock bed until a pair of strong hands grabbed his shoulders and jerked him upright.

Alakvyr gasped, sputtered, and wailed, his still flailing feet struggling to support himself. Thankfully the human’s arms were steady and held him above water. The drow’s body was wracked with shivers and it felt like his muscles were locking up. He continued to wail and clutched at the Loviatan — understanding very much, now, the perils of a wet cat.

Between his cries the torturer praised him — joined him — and laughed, though he did not sound malicious, just genuinely amused. “I thought you weren’t joining me, child?”

“Get me out of the water, please!” Alakvyr begged, his teeth clattering.

He and the torturer walked arm in arm to the bank. Abdirak’s skin was pale and the ends of his fingers and toes were purple like his lips. He must have been numb like Alakvyr, but he walked like it was a friendly stroll. For the drow each step on the smooth rocks at the bank was sharp agony. Neither man dressed. Abdirak may have been able to, but all Alakvyr could think about was the fire burning in camp.

“Is everyone al— gods!” Shadowheart had come to investigate Alakvyr’s screams, no doubt. “What is going on?” She raised her hands, her head still turned away from the shivering nude men wandering through the dark underbrush. “Actually, I don’t want to know.”

Abdirak was in good spirits as the men dried in his tent. He’d had the wherewithal to bring their clothes under his arm, and Alakvyr clumsily dressed himself before hurrying out to the fire on still numb, aching legs.

Others in camp were awake now; Alakvyr’s wails could not be discounted as the cause of their rousing. The drow sat by the fire as near to Karlach as he physically could, basking in the warmth of both.

“Hold up, soldier,” Karlach laughed at him and scooted a foot or two away. “After what Shadowheart said she saw I don’t know if I want you sitting so close right now.”

The drow frowned, his brain seeming to have been numbed by the plunge, too. When he realized what she meant, he shook his head emphatically. “We were swimming!”

“That’s not as original a cover story as you think, darling,” Lockpick quipped. He lounged near the front of his tent, looking quite well-rested.

The Loviatan followed shortly, kneeling beside the drow and patting his thigh in a friendly fashion, though a ‘knowing’ glance passed between Karlach and Lockpick.

“My Maiden does not care for entertainment, and less amusement,” Abdirak said, ignoring the others though someone as passively observant as he seemed to be surely had caught their jibes. “But I, personally enjoyed it.”

Lockpick snorted.

Alakvyr could feel his cheeks warm and it was not from Karlach or the fire.

[armoredisopod]

New Event PV

New Operators

Almond, 5* Hookmaster Specialist

Everything is just as it was on the drawing board, perfect!

Coldshot, 5* Welfare 猎手 Sniper (new branch)

Want a drink? It's on me.

Jessica the Liberated, 6* Sentinel Protector Defender

I'm sorry, Doctor, give me some time, i'll get my emotions under control.

Operator Skins Update

Total of 5 new skins, 4 new additions for the Crossover brand, 1 new addition for the Epoque brand

Crossover

Franka's Rainforest, Me, Rainbow

Qiubai's Wine-Flushed is Woods of Rime

Ling's Towering is Cliff of Nostalgia - L2D skin

Nine-Colored Deer's 古往今来的月

These skins cannot be exchanged using skin vouchers

Epoque

Cardigan's Sunny Day - Event Reward

Nine-Colored Deer's skin will be up for sale during her collab's rerun event

Cardigan's new skin is a reward from Design of Strife

Announced a rerun for the series XV of the Epoque brand skins, up for sale during the same time as the Chinese National Geography collab skins

Operator Modules Update

Almond being part of the Hookmaster Specialist branch immediately gets her module

HOK-X module base effect inflicts additional Arts damage to enemies dragged by Almond proportional to distance traveled

Abjurer Supporter branch gets 1 module type

Ch'en and Saga gets their second modules

SOL-X module base effect increases Saga's ATK and DEF by 8% when blocking

SWO-Y module base effect allows Ch'en's attacks to ignore 70 of the target's DEF

Events and Stories

Come Catastrophes or Wakes of Vulture, a Blacksteel side story event

Gaze upon that city, dead in winter. Its great chimneys, feebly spewing out white smoke.

Watch passersby futilely heaving their breaths upon their hands, frozen palms wanting for warmth.

Witness a heavy blanket of snow fall from the heavens, covering the dismal days and hopeless nights.

Look at countless sighs silently rushing out, forming into wisps of smoke from a gun's barrel, disappearing in the cold frigid air.

[Arknights × Chinese National Geography] collab event

During the event period, if the collab event PV reaches certain milestones, rewards such as furniture and elite materials can be unlocked

Special collab icon pack sold in the shop

Design of Strife, a new upcoming gamemode

Operator Archives update for Jessica the Liberated, Executor the Ex-Foedere, Franka, La Pluma, Purestream, Dagda, Bena and Vermeil

Record Restore update for Near Light

[satoshi-mochida]

Some games on the PSN New Year Sale. Ends February 1st.

13 Sentinels

Actraiser: Renaissance

Afterimage

AI: The Somnuim Files

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos

Anima: Gate of Memories

ANONYMOUS;CODE

Arcade Spirits

Ary and the Secret of Seasons

A Space for the Unbound

Assault Suit Lynos

Bayonetta and Vanquish

Buried Stars

Castlevania Anniversary Collection

Chaos;Child

Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk 2

Control

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Cris Tales

Cross Code

Cult of the Lamb

Cyber Citizen Shockman

Cyberdimension Neptunia

Danganronpa 1-2 Reload

Danganronpa V3

Darkwood

Death end reQuest

Death end reQuest 2

Devil May Cry HD Collection

Digimon Survive

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

DJ Max Respect

Double Dragon Gaiden

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball Xenoverse

Dragon Ball Xenoverse/Xenoverse 2 Bundle

Dusk Diver

Earth Defense Force 5

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

Exoprimal

Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire

Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition

Final Fantasy XV: Comrades

Freedom Planet

Ghost n Goblins Resurection

Ghost Trick

Giga Wrecker Alt.

Ginga Force

Goat Simulator

Goat Simulator 3

God Eater Resurection

God Eater 3

Gravity Rush Remastered

Grim Fandango Remastered

Gungrave G.O.R.E.

Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X

Horizon: Zero Dawn

I Am Setsuna

In Nightmare

Jak and Daxter

Jak II

Jak 3

Jak x: Combat Racing

Kaze and the Wild Masks

Kerbal Space Program

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix

Kingdom Hearts 2.8

Labyrinth of Zangetsu

Laika: Aged Through Blood

Legend of Mana

Light Fairytale Episode 1

Light Fairytale Episode 2

Like a Dragon: Ishin

Little Nightmares

Little Nightmares 2

Little Witch Academia: Chamber of TIme

Lock's Quest

Lost in Random

Lost Judgment

Made in Abyss; Binary Star Falling Into Darkness

Maglam Lord

Mary Skelter Finale

MediEvil

Metal Gear Solid 5

Metal Max Zeno Reborn

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

Monster Hunter Rise

Mr. Driller DrillLand

My Aunt is a Witch

My Hero: One's Justice

Several Naruto games

Neverending Nightmares

Ni no Kuni 2

Obliteracers

Omega Quintet

Several One Piece games

Oninaki

Our World is Ended.

Owlboy

Persona 4 Ultimax

Persona 5 Royal

Potion Permit

Praey for the Gods

Pumpkin Jack

Raging Loop

Relayer

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne

Several Resident Evil games

River City: Rival Showdown

Romancing SaGa 2

Romancing SaGa 3

Root Film

Root Letter

SaGa Fronter Remastered

SaGa Scarlet Grace

Sakura Wars(PS4)

Samurai Shodown

Scribblenauts Mega Pack

Secret of Mana

Sega Gensis Classics

Simulacra

Skul: The Hero Slayer

Slender: The Arrival

Song of Memories

Sonic Frontiers

Sonic Superstars

Steins; Gate

Steins; Gate 0

Steins; Gate: My Darling's Embrace

Super Bobmerman R

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD

Super Night Riders

Sword of the Vagrant

Taiko no Tetsujin: Drum Session

Tales of Zestiria

Tembo the Badass Elephant

The Evil Within

Several King of Fighters games

Valkyria Chronicles 4

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2

Various Daylife

Warborn

When the Past was Around

Yakuza 3 Remastered

Yakuza 4 Remastered

Yakuza 5 Remastered

Zanki Zero

[eritvita]

continued from x ;

@bothfeetinthegrave

The yellowing lights from that buzzing neon of the gas station cast eerie glows down upon their heads, that buzzing and the entirety of the crickets in their stilted, Autumnal chill the pair's only company in this lone, silent Night; naught e'en for the cars upon the highway droll past, excluding the lonely howl of far-'way coyotes in that flattened, dry ground.

Roland frowns at his space from across from this doleful spirit, the plastic of their bench sharp and jagged in its ancient days. His van is packed aftways, locked and safe, a Sentinel of a fantasy-painted Wall. "Hast thou e'er cautioned to sleep?" inquires he, as 'tis all too familiar that recognition of purpl'ng eyes, the melted expression and so of the waxful pallor of a soft, exhausted countenance. All too mirrored.