#surina has two hands!

[agentnatesewell]

Just Adam and Nate being thrice married thrice divorced husbands during twc book one

[kdelarenta]

memorial

trigger warning: death of an animal,blood (nothing too gruesome)...also bobby is in this 😶

summary: 4 detectives, 4 memories, 1 fate - murphy

amelia

she always says she doesn't remember him, even though that's only partially true. she remembers big, warm hands and kisses pressed on her head and cheeks. his touch,his presence left an imprint on her soul and became a part of her very existence, he rested in his grave as he rested in her eyes. it's hard to explain the little prickles on her brain,whisps of memories she doesn't know how to connect (how many are there,which ones belong together - she does not know,they're all so warm,so very warm in the cold gutter that is her mind). something between her lungs and head is missing, there's a hole to be filled, a missing piece and she thinks everyone can see it. rebecca, the endless psychologists she made her see just to tell her what she already knew - she was empty.

it was always the same theory,the same diagnosis,the same speech - she was too young, he was dead and she was empty. it took rebecca a couple of years to stop wasting her money, accept the fact that she won't see amelia smile or cry,that she'll always see her porcelain doll face, his eyes but devoid of life and hollow - always hollow.

and even now as amelia closes her eyes, it's like she can remember being in his arms,safe and held tight as he laughs.she swears she can hear him laugh and it's the most beautiful laugh she's ever heard and she wants to smile - now as she's bleeding out,after so many years, she has a reason to smile.

maybe,if she passes on this night,if she dies on this warehouse floor, she'll find him and he'll find her. and they'll be together - finally.

josie

the room is a comfortable quiet except for the sound of the keyboard under her fingertips and whatever podcast bobby's listening to. he's spralled on her bed,impatient as ever, as she's finishing up her paper.

,,are you done yet?" he practically moans and she can't help but chuckle.

,, just twelve more and i've hit the word count"

she's grinning proudly as she turns around to show him the computer.

,,well can you hurry up? i'm all for being fashionably late but i don't want to miss the best part. "

,, don't worry,i'm on it"

smiling still, she turns around to finish typing out the words. she was quite worried about this paper but after sitting down with bobby and thinking it through she ended up with an incredible finished result.

,,done!"

she presses save and gleefully spins around in her chair. bobby gives her a high five and stands up to begin putting on his coat.

,,hey thanks again for this. i don't think i could've done it without you."

,,aww,stop it jo. anything for my best friend."

he loops an arm around her shoulder and kisses the top of her head as she giggles.

she's not exactly sure where this memory came from,it feels almost too nice for the occasion, oversaturated.

she knows she doesn't have long, her legs refuse to work as she slumps against the wall. halfway to freedom, so close but so far. she's too tired, there's no one coming,what's the point?

she doesn't know why it's this memory she sees as she gives up on life.

edith

it's raining as it was that night.

edith was seven. it was raining as she was sitting in the parking lot of the supemarket,waiting. she had half a mind to get out of the rain,back to the supermarket but her mother told her to wait,so she waited. she wasn't sure what or who she was waiting for as she didn't get the chance the ask. the bag of milk she managed to buy before rebecca bolted out of the supermarket stays clutched in her hand as she waits. it was a normal friday night and they were going grocery shopping,they were going to spend the weekend together since rebecca managed to get the weekend free. she was happy to spend time with her parent, seeing as they rarely saw each other,it was a rare moment and something she could look forward to. they were just about to check out as her phone rang. not her regular phone - her other phone. edith couldn't imagine why she would have two but she didn't care enough to question it. it didn't take long for rebecca to raise her voice,face panicked as she posed question after question. she finally hung up and edith saw her mother return to her old,stoic face. her hands were still shaking as she handed edith enough money for the milk,told her she had to go.

they need her, she's sorry, just wait here.

she didn't say anything to the cashier as she payed for the milk and went out the door to find her mother's car gone. it pours for another fifteen minutes until it finally stops. a car soon approaches edith and her nanny opens the door for her to get in. she doesn't speak on the way home, rebecca didn't show up that weekend.

people are like ghosts, edith always thought. they could get stuck in a place and never leave. she's always at that supermarket and if she survives this - she'll always be at this warehouse.

alone. always alone.

surina

she's on her tenth strawberry when she feels someone tap her shoulder. she turns around to give an eye roll but then sees the sheepish expression on marc's face.

,, what? "

,, ...marcy's crying again"

this time she does roll her eyes but gets up to follow him nevertheless. these damn kids. i mean to be fair, they were only 3 years younger. she wishes she had better neighbours but in the end she doesn't mean it. as they get to the backyard marc points to where marcy's standing and then bolts. great. at least he won't make her cry even more.

,,hey!"

marcy startles as she sees surina approach. she had indeed been crying, her eyes red and tear filled as they take in surina's face.

,, what is it? did marc tease you again. i swear to god i'm gonna-"

marcy wraps both her arms around her waist and presses her head to her skirt. she's still shaking and crying but she manages to shake her head.

,,it's not marc,it's.....look!"

she points to something on the grass and surina moves away slightly to see what has her in such a distress. a beautiful white dove lays on the grass, both wings bloody and a nearly broken neck. it's still alive. surina opens her mouth and for a second thinks about throwing up those strawberries. pulling herself together she turns to marcy and crouches down to shield her from the bird.

,,don't look" surina's voice is resolute but she herself can't help throwing a quick look at the bird. big mistake.

,,go inside. i'll take care of this"

marcy doesn't need more convincing as she gives a nod and runs to the house. with a sigh surina stands up and brushes her skirt. she turns and stares at the bird,contemplating before picking up a rock and slowly approaching. leaning down to the bird she can see it struggle, still alive but barely. her head moves as much as it can with her neck twisted and her eyes stare at surina's.

she doesn't hesitate as she lifts the rock and hits.

surina barely has the strength to lift her hand to her neck. she can only imagine what it looks like - a waterfall of blood. as she lays in the pool of her own blood she can't help but remember.

she can't help but wonder if right now she looks like that bird,neck ripped.

[chaoticcomposition]

So I've been following your art for a while but I NEED to know more! What characters are you currently playing and what do they think of their current... circumstances? Parties? Comrades? I don't know how this works but DETAILS! I would like to know everything you have to say! Please keep creating!

omg WELL...if you want the overarching story of each character I have a page for them, with the most active characters closer to the top. I also have a collection of fics over on ao3 that touch on certain moments, but the word count has added up over time even if the chapters are all quite short lmao

that being said, thank you for asking & encouraging me to keep creating! I’ve included more under the cut.

tuesday I play in a game run by two dms who switch every arc set in matthew mercer’s tal’dorei setting. I play my half-elf rogue cihro and I’ve been playing him since level 2 - we’re 11 rn but we’ll probably hit 12 at the end of a mini-arc we’re doing. that game is gunna hit its 3 year anniversary in march! 

most recently him and his half-brother rescued their parents from the theatre in the feywild. we were gone for 12 days but we rolled an 18 on the die when we returned so 12 months passed on the material plane! his current state of mind is funny b/c he went in knowing the time dilation was a risk, and as a half-elf with a long-lived partner he was okay with that. so on one hand he’s elated to have his dad back, who he spent a long time grieving, but when we got back to westruun we found out his mentor escaped prison & killed a high-ranking officer in the swords, which has caused the city to effectively be on lockdown ever since 

so on the other hand he’s listening to this report like “hmm that’s my mentor, who trained me, personally, and the general doesn’t know my connection to him,” knowing he’ll probably be contacted soon. then the party paladin is gunna get on his dick about hunting his mentor down and cihro’s gunna be like “no” for the 50th time, which is a point - the party is kind of divided between people who are more survivalist & pragmatic, like cihro, vs people who want to do greater good & hunt down cultists no matter the cost, like our paladin

their party name is unofficially ‘the fuckpack’ but officially we might call ourselves overkill b/c that’s what we do all the time

cihro’s best friend is a goliath monk/cleric named kishore and she’s played by my pal @solfell-dnd​, who is an excellent writer. I plan on multiclassing him into bard after he hits level 13 rogue. next arc I plan on swapping in iona so cihro can go chill somewhere or do secret work for the clasp

saturday I play in a game run by @greyfen in an original setting. my main pc for that game is surina, my dragonborn barb/fighter, and we’ve also been playing them since level 2! my two games are pretty neck in neck but she’s currently on vacation with her gf & childhood friend, valcyis, so I swapped in genevieve, my orc blood hunter. she’s quite new to the party but she has a good first impression of them so far, but she’s generally very easy going. last sesh she revealed she’s a werewolf in a fight b/c it went sideways due to a ton of bad rolls. I intended to keep it hidden longer since she’s mostly kept it secret out of habit + she’s more caged than I realized, but I figured we could use the boost

they ALSO just went into the feywild on a whim cuz children have gone missing and a portal tore open in the middle of the street during a festival so we hopped on through. the missing children is a good motivator for her cuz she has a daughter she doesn’t want stolen

their party is called the iron hearts, which is an evolution from their original name, the bastard patrol. they have statues being made of them in the city rn, can’t wait for surina to find that out when she gets back

hopefully that answers your questions lmao it’s a lot to cover when you’re in multiple games that have been running for years. if you read all this, I commend you

[angstmongertina]

hidden meanings

Mishka answered an ask about what A meant when they said that they aren’t “good at this sort of thing” and it fucking destroyed me so here we are, like a week and some 2.6k words later. (I’m sorry I’m a slow writer lol.)

Guys, I love Adam so goddamn much.

Most of the dialogue is Mishka’s. I’m just expanding out the scene with more introspection than is entirely healthy lol.

AO3 Link

Adam is not, by nature, a man of change.

Of course, living through nine centuries has done something to temper his obstinacy, and he knows that he is at least less technology-adverse than Nate, but he is also fully aware of the fact that that comparison means hardly anything. Even so, in his long life, he has also found it far easier to simply focus on the present and his duties to the Agency, the organization that, despite its own changes, has remained one of the closest things to a constant in the rapidly evolving world around him.

This world that he does not truly belong in, but that he also cannot leave, that he has simply been existing in for nearly a millennium.

Still, he has long since learned that it is easier, that it is better, to concentrate on the task at hand, to do his job without unnecessary frills and complications. He only has need of himself, his assignment, and his team, those very select few he has come to work with and trust. Those others who have proven themselves, who are also frozen in time, permanently caught in the eddies of the steady stream of life. Who, like him, have secrets and memories that lay guarded, shrouded in the past, out of sight and out of mind.

At least, that has all been the case until Unit Bravo found themselves assigned to Wayhaven and to her.

If anyone had told him, a scant few months earlier, that a human woman, still so young and inexperienced, the daughter of his unit’s handler, would have brought so much change to all of their lives, he would have called them crazy. And yet…

He glances down to his side.

It is a strange thing. At a first pass, the figure walking beside him, taking at least two steps for every one of his, is not one he would have expected to make such an impact. While he has to admit that Agent Langford herself is not of any impressive physical stature, she has an elegance, a commanding presence, that has always served her well, both on the field and behind a desk. Her daughter, on the other hand, manages to be of even smaller frame, not even reaching his shoulder in height, and so slender that she looks as though a strong wind might be able to knock her off her feet. Despite the potential dangers of their mission, her dark hair hangs in messy waves down her back, long and unbound and utterly impractical for combat. All in all, she is, at least at first glance, utterly ordinary, looking for all the world like another resident of Wayhaven that has shown up to this accursed carnival. Except…

Except, in spite of the crowds, the noise and the sights and the chaos, of everything that he loathes, everything that should be overwhelming to his senses, even in the best of times, all of it pales in comparison to her.

As if sensing his thoughts, or at least his attention, she tilts her head up, raising an eyebrow, and his chest tightens at the inquisitive look in the stormy grey eyes that lift to meet his, at the way his traitorous hand twitches in its attempt to reach out for her. Her lips part, all soft curves compared to the bright sharpness of her gaze, and he only realizes when she presses them together, a heaviness resting in their corners, that she has asked him a question.

One that he cannot for the life of him even begin to recall.

Instead, he gives his usual noncommittal grunt, at once a deflection and a response, one that has always served him well. Except this time, his typical antagonism does not appear to hide his preoccupation; for a split second, something flashes across her face, disappearing so quickly that even he, with his supernatural speed, cannot identify it. Its swift departure does not, however, prevent it from settling poorly in his stomach, a sudden storm of unease that has him looking down, unable to meet her eyes and the depths of what he might find there.

He cannot help but be thankful that it is only a few steps further to the carousel, a bright, swirling mixture of colors and music that seems to draw the attention of everyone in range. Almost as if it has been expecting them, the ride slows as they approach, and he does not fail to notice the way Surina’s face brightens as she sets foot onto the steps, the first hint of true enthusiasm he has seen from her since their disagreement in the car.

The animation in her features, highlighted by the twinkling lights of the ride, is nearly enough to make him stumble as he follows her. Climbing up with more difficulty than he cares to admit, he stiffens, clearing his throat before crossing his arms over his chest.

Given her preoccupation, he is almost surprised when it cuts through her reverie, but somehow, it does and in spite of the bustle of others climbing on around them and the general din of the park, her quiet intake of breath echoes in his mind. She turns from inspecting one of the fiberglass creatures to give him another questioning look, but this time, he is prepared for her keen gaze and instead, he glances about them, eyes narrowed. “I don’t think both of us should be seated for this ride. One of us should stay standing to cover us in case of issues.”

The words come out stilted, heavy against her excitement, and part of him finds himself regretting them when they seem to settle over her shoulders, pressing down against the cheer that had lifted them only moments earlier. For a second, he wonders if she will argue, contemplates apologizing, but she only exhales in a long breath before giving a nod, though a hint of a smirk replaces the faint frown on her face, one that is usually enough to put him on his guard, except…

Except, this time, those grey eyes lighten to a softer blue, once again dancing with her amusement, and he can feel his chest tighten in response, enough so that he almost, almost, misses her next statement.

“All right. You sit and I’ll stand.”

It is a challenge and he knows it. Her face is alight with the force of her energy, her eyebrow quirked teasingly with a hand braced on her hip. Despite his best efforts, his breath catches in his throat as the corner of her mouth curls into a smirk, and he has to actively force himself to look away, running a hand through his hair to resist the urge to wipe that cocky smile off of her face, to taste the insolence on her lips…

“Fine.”

Blindly, he reaches for the nearest creature, climbing into the fiberglass saddle before the form of his chosen steed registers to him. It isn’t until she steps closer, her grin growing wider, that the curved neck and pale white wings filter into his consciousness, and he finds himself resisting the urge to growl.

“Seems appropriate.” She chuckles, apparently too preoccupied with running a hand over the bright orange beak to notice the way he stiffens at her words, his heart pounding so loudly that it’s a small wonder everyone on the ride doesn’t notice, but, oddly, instead of mocking, her gaze is playful, a soft invitation. “You know, the whole bad-tempered part?”

She takes another step closer and he says nothing, cannot begin to form a coherent sentence in lieu of gritting his teeth as her arm brushes against his, a warmth that he can feel even through his coat, and he resists the urge to flinch.

Judging from the way she glances away, her expression falling yet again, he is not as subtle as he hopes.

He is not sure if it is perfect or horrendous timing that the ride begins then and she rocks onto her heels, her hand wrapping around the pole just under his, so close that he can feel the heat from it, can almost feel the fluttering of her heartbeat, soft and rhythmical under the cheerfully chiming music, interwoven with laughter and conversation from the other patrons. Steady and intoxicating.

He swallows once, hard, and looks away.

“Maybe we should talk… or something?” Her voice is quiet, enough so that he is certain that anyone without supernatural hearing would not have been able to hear it, and his eyebrows climb at the show of hesitance from his normally combative companion. “Help blend in with everyone else.”

In spite of his better judgment, he lets his eyes drift back over the crowds to where she stands at his side, her face tilted slightly to meet his gaze, and finds his thoughts scattering under the weight of that soft grey. “Talk?” The word comes out slightly strangled and he hastily clears his throat. “Talk of what?”

A slim shoulder rises in a shrug. “Anything, I suppose. We just stand out because we’re so silent.”

“We’re on a job. Chatting isn’t a priority.”

The reply falls out of his mouth without thinking, with the reflexes born from centuries of sidestepping and ignoring attempts at unnecessary conversations and sentiments, of focusing on his missions for the Agency, of maintaining his distance from this world that he does not quite belong in. It is the simple truth, the best, safest approach for everyone involved. And yet…

And yet the flicker of emotion in her eyes before her face smooths out stings, a keen ache in his chest that somehow hurts far more than any amount of anger would have, particularly when she only looks around before leaning closer, her voice dropping to scarcely more than a breath on the evening breeze.

“That was a little loud, Adam. People might overhear.”

The mild censure manages to filter into his consciousness, and he only barely manages to stop himself from flinching at the warning. Their investigation, their mission for the Agency… They are paramount, are the only reason why she is here with him now, playing out this little charade. They must be. Which means…

He turns to meet her gaze once more, taking a deep breath as he catches her eye, now dark and swirling with a myriad of emotions, just out of reach, that he does not dare to try and recognize, that he will not, that he cannot, lose himself in.

Not again. Never again.

Even so, his traitorous heart clenches in his chest, sharp and almost stifling, each pounding heartbeat sending a fresh pang through his entire being. Each breath is constricted, straining against the tightness that binds him, wrapping around his chest until he is drowning in the fierce ocean of his own intense reaction. In wild desperation, he arches his back, focusing on the way his muscles stretch and tighten, on the weight of his coat shifting over his shoulders, on the breath that escapes his lips, warm in the cool evening air. On the space his movement adds between them, the distance that he needs to maintain.

On anything but her.

And still, he can feel those stormy eyes watching him, unwavering, waiting. He can feel his walls cracking under that heavy gaze, feel as it seems to draw the truth from the depths of his soul, and as much as he wants to hold it all back, he cannot. Not to her.

“I’m not good at…” At maintaining appearances around her, at opening up to other people, or even himself. At vulnerability… “At this kind of thing.”

For a moment, her expression softens, and he stiffens ever so slightly at the gentleness in her gaze, at the way she leans even closer, apprehension and hope waging war in equal measure in his mind. “You don’t have to be,” she says, her voice so soft that he can scarcely hear it over the thundering of his heart. “You just have to try.”

Her words echo in his mind, quiet and patient and somehow they shake him more than  anything she has said to him before, threatening to peel back each of his painstakingly constructed layers until he is exposed, raw and bare and…

Crimson flowing in thick rivulets from the gashes in her neck, staining the concrete floor. Soft grey eyes fluttering closed over a shaky smile. Fear and desperation drowning out every rational thought, every ounce of sense in his mind—

He swallows hard.

…And dangerous.

This world is, he is, a threat to her, one he cannot let himself expose her to, no matter how desperately part of him wants to. Not if he brings naught but pain and destruction to her, as he inevitably will.

He has learned that much, at least.

His free hand clenched in an effort to not break the bar he still holds, he takes a deep breath against that persistent tightness in his chest, letting it out in a long sigh. “You are…” The ride separates them gradually, irrevocably, and he cannot be sure if it is relief or disappointment that floods his system, that has the corners of his mouth relaxing. Just as he cannot be sure whether it is fear or anticipation that quickens his heart as he returns once more to meet her gaze, still with that strange, unfathomable patience. As he bites his tongue, holding back the words he longs to say, the truths he cannot tell. “Difficult to talk to,” he finishes quietly but the words feel hollow in his mouth and he cannot hide from the way she lets out the breath she was holding, from the disappointment that streaks across her face, that finds the cracks in his already weakened defenses and cuts, deep and piercing.

“Why?”

The ride has shifted until he is level with her once more and, this close, he can feel the puff of her breath against his skin in the cool evening air, the gentle caress drawing his gaze until all he can see is the soft curve of her lips, parted and frozen, waiting. He can feel the heat of her hand curled around the pole, just below his, skin fluttering with the rapid beating of her heart, so exposed and fragile. He can feel the shape of her name in his mouth, his lips forming around each syllable, the sounds hanging heavy in the space between them, careful and hesitant and yet, somehow, right…

A small jerk throws him off balance, sending Surina stumbling a few steps to the side, and he reacts on instinct, sitting upright as she catches her balance, his muscles tensing when he realizes that he has begun to reach out a steadying hand. Her gaze is still on him, dark and inscrutable, slowly, inexorably drawing him into that pool of something deep and overwhelming and he can’t.

With an effort, he wrenches his gaze away, his hand once again tightening into a fist. Their surroundings filter back into his consciousness, the other riders dismounting, the din of their laughter and conversations crashing back over him in waves of noise and sensation. Cold. Shocking.

A reminder.

Clearing his throat, he slides off the swan, the simple action less fluid than he would like to admit, and finds himself tugging at the collar of his coat. Instead, he folds his arms across his chest, sturdy and resolute. Shielding. “We should move on.”

It is nothing more than a simple statement of truth. He knows this. And yet, he cannot quite suppress the disappointment that wells in his chest when she nods, her reply a quiet whisper, and follows him back into the crowd.

[veryberrybrenda]

A Vacation Away from Wayhaven

I decided to write a snippet about if Unit Bravo ever decided to take a vacation. This is my first time ever writing something like this, so I hope you guys enjoy. I might do a part 2 where they l hang out in town. I couldn’t resist the angst of the Love Triangle :D This takes place a month or two after Book 2 by @seraphinitegames

“I spy…something green.” Felix’s words were laced with boredom as he stared past Mason out at the car window from the middle seat.

“If it’s another palm tree, I’m going to throw you out of this car!,” Mason growled. His grey eyes glowered at the young vampire.

I silently smiled at the comfortable banter surrounding me in the back seat of the Agency’s SUV. It had taken quite a bit of convincing by the others for me to use the Agency’s black SUV in favor of my silver hatchback.

Most of the arguing had been done by Adam.

“Your safety cannot be guaranteed in a car such a state as yours. Your life is far too valuable to be taken by that car,” Adam said with a heavy tone while his green eyes stared at me with such intensity that made me forget the whole insult and the fact that the rest of the team was also in the room.

Our gaze was only broken when I saw the corner of my eye Felix, who had the smile the size of the Cheshire cat plastered on his face, and Nate who had a look of confusion on his usually calm face. Adam having realized too that there were others watching him, shifted his gaze over to the nearby window of the warehouse searching for non-existent intruders.

I thought a weekend getaway for the team to my family vacation house would be a good idea for all of us. We are all strung as tight as a rope from all the tension from our failure at recapturing Murphy. The source of most of the tension came from Adam and Nate who shifted uneasily whenever Murphy was mentioned. After the relocation of the Maa-alused, the team had been focused on trying to locate Murphy once more after he escaped from the abandoned warehouse, which has been proving more difficult than I thought.

That name no longer sent shudders through my core since it had been months since he had last plagued my nightmares. It also helped that Nate was always comforting me and listening to my recollection of my nightmares when I had trouble sleeping.

Nate isn’t the only one that made the nightmares disappear.

It was true that Adam did comfort me too in my nightly walks when Murphy filled my sleep. We often would spar in the training rooms to get me to tire, so that sleep would come easier. Although we would sometimes end up on the benches talking. Our conversation seemed to flow easier at night. I don’t know if it’s the tiredness of training, but Adam was more open. Smiles were more common and once… I might’ve imagined it, but I swear I saw a flash of dimples on Adam’s pale cheeks after recounting the tale of my rebellious youth. But every time we got close, Adam would push me away by suggesting I head back to sleep, or he would exit the room. I will never get used to that habit and my heart sinking every time it happened.  

I ran my fingers over the almost unnoticeable scar on my neck. It’s been an unconscious habit that I picked up after my near-death experience with Murphy. I try not to think about it that much since it will only slow me down in the investigation to bring that bastard to justice.

The vacation house hadn’t been visited by Mum and I for awhile now. Her job at the Agency had been keeping her busier these past couple of years and partly because I think the house reminds her too much of Dad. There are pictures of him all over the vacation house, which contrasts the amount in the family house, which was none.

“Do you visit this house often, Surina?” I looked up to see Nate’s warm brown eyes turned to face me from the passenger seat, which was the only seat that could contain his mile-long legs. He opted out of his usual neutral color clothing and brown jacket in favor for a cream cotton shirt that sleeves ended at his elbow. He also traded his jeans for tan Bermuda shorts. His whole outfit was simple and casual, yet very fitting considering our destination.

Emerald Coast.

It’s a tourist town known for its beautiful crystal-clear beaches. The water-- pristine. The sand -- so white that the light reflects off of it and makes for a beautiful scene and a popular settling for weddings.

The Emerald water is just as mesmerizing as Adam’s eyes.

I quickly shook the thought away as I turned my full attention towards Nate. “Not as often as I hoped, but I’m glad I get to share it with you guys,” I said with a bright smile while I ran my hands along the fabric my white romper. “There are so many secrets wonders hidden in the forest next to the house.”

“One I hope to explore with you.” Nate said in a sultry tone that had my body rank up a few degrees. It didn’t help that his eyes had gone dark with desire pulsating through them and he was staring at me with such a gaze that could melt the toughest of steel.

“Ahem.”

Both Nate and I broke our hypnotizing gaze from each other to look at Adam who was clearing his throat. He wore his usual attire of his green combat pants, but this time sporting his rare, blue tee-shirt that barely stretched over his hard muscles. His eyes were glued to the road with his aviator sunglasses reflecting the sun’s harsh rays.

Adam insisted that he drive because he was “better suited at reacting to unknown dangers on the road.” I agreed because I admit, vampires do have their benefits and also because it was a two-hour drive and driving too long makes my legs numb.

“I still don’t see how a vacation is any bit helpful in our mission,” Adam stated with a sneer.

“Well, spending time together will help build better trust in the team and so make us much more efficient in recapturing Murphy.” My voice confident as I gave a smirk.

That was the excuse I used on Mum and it had thankfully worked on her. She agreed that some down-time would be beneficial in seeing a new perspective on our case.

I gazed at the rearview mirror hoping to gauge at Adam’s reaction. My hopes fell short when I forgot he was wearing his sunglasses and I couldn’t view his eyes.

His icy green eyes that let me see the cracks in stoic mask.

However, I did see his body tense at my sudden attention towards him. What surprised me even more was his reply.

“I suppose I can’t argue with that logic,” Adam said with a teasing tone and gave a small smile that had my heart rate go up a few beats.

“My logic was the one who convinced you to go on this vacation,” I quipped.

“You like more than just her logic. Right Adam?” Felix flashed a wide smile as he leaned forward in his seat and brushed a black curl away from his amber eyes and into his purple cap while looking at both Adam and me with such a glee that only a toddler can possess.

Adam growled and his grip tighten on the steering wheel and I felt heat settle on my cheeks as I tucked a black strand of hair behind my ear. Nate placed a hand on his old friend’s shoulder in concern. The touch had the intended effect Nate wanted when Adam loosen his grip on the steering wheel.

Felix having been contented in the reaction from the leader and from me, lounged back in his seat with his hands behind his head.  The buttons on his rather colorful tropical shirt stretched to accommodate his movements. He also lifted his legs, which was covered by brown cargo shorts that matched his dark skin and crisscrossed them in his seat. His right knee was now touching Mason’s side, which caused a growl to escape from the quiet vampire. Felix’s colorful shirt contrasted Mason’s usual dark attire. Felix threw a toothy grin before lowering his legs back to the ground.

“Who knows,” Felix shrugged. “You might even come to enjoy more time with our lovely Surina, almighty leader,” Felix threw a meaningful look at Adam as he spoke those words with a genuine, and surprising serious tone that made me ark a brow at the true meaning behind those words.

Nate who was distracted from the conversation with the map in his lap turned his gaze towards Adam. “We’re almost there. Just turn at this exit and we should be there in about twenty minutes.”

A contented sigh escaped from Mason who had been staring out at the window. “Finally. I can’t take much more of Felix’s chatter.”

We all laughed at Mason’s comment. Adam gave more of a small chuckle that made me smile even wider. That sound was something I wish I could hear more often.

I gazed out at the window, happy that I was growing closer to the team that had threw my world upside down. My thoughts then shifted to Adam and Nate and a frown made its way to my lips.

The more time I spend with both of them, the more uncertain my feelings become around them.

Especially Adam.

No, this vacation is about relaxing. Not about some feelings I have for a guy that pushes me away every time there are cracks in his walls. But what about the guy that is so warm and open and makes me feel like I could take on the whole world.

I quickly push these thoughts aside as I see the familiar view of the colorful town getting closer in my vision.

[shiverpeakstraveler]

Favorite foods for all (or whichever you prefer) your characters? :D

-cracks knuckles- Alright, here we go! This might get pretty long. (sorry if some paragraphs are shorter then others ^^;;)

                                                 ~~~~~~~

Liana isn’t much of a picky eater (although she avoids strawberries due to an allergy). There are a wide variety of foods she enjoys eating, but when it comes to absolute favorites, she tends to lean towards pizza, dishes that include different types of meat, and soups or stews. Some of her favorites include steak with winterberry sauce, spicy herbed chicken, and dolyak stew. She also has a pretty big sweet tooth and will try to eat cake for breakfast if you let her. There’s also the habit she seems to have where she’ll eat questionable items one probably shouldn’t consume, but that’s another story entirely.

Hjalmar has a pretty strong passion for cooking and will taste test everything he creates just about. He’s got a pretty wide range of when it comes to what he prefers to eat, although not as extensive as eating questionable items like his sister Liana does on occasion. He’s pretty drawn to pepper steaks, all types of chili, frostgorge clams, griffin egg omelets, carrot soufflé, and spicy moa wings. Like Liana, Mar also has a pretty big sweet tooth, and he’s pretty proud on his signature recipe for chocolate raspberry cake.

Fruit tarts. Glythyrr can almost always be found nibbling on some whenever he’s working on research for the Priory. His personal favorites include blueberry and apple tarts. He’s not particularly fond of Omnomberry tarts, but his adopted daughter Vera loves them so he makes sure to have a bunch of them on hand as well.

Siobhan has a weakness for any food that happens to have cinnamon with it, cinnamon pinwheels being at the top of the list. She absolutely loves the sweet and savory taste of the spice, and will try to put it on everything.

Liviana tends to prefer red meat and fish. Salmon and pepper steaks are pretty high on the list when it comes to her favorite foods. She also has a bit of fondness for chocolate raspberry cookies.

Soups and stews are usually the go to for Nora. Those are the two foods she knows how to make well, as she lacks her younger brother Hjalmar’s cooking talent. She’s actually pretty fond of a meat and cabbage stew that Siobhan knows how to make.

Krioka tends to bury herself in projects and research, so she tends to go for a lot of instant meals that can easily be prepared, most of the time being soups or noodles. When she does have time to actually prepare a meal, there’s nothing like a good helping of citrus clove steaks. She also keeps a jar of crunchy grasshoppers on her desk to nibble on.

Aside from his love of coffee, Gabriel usually prefers different kinds of stir fry as his favorite dish. Given his job as a Seraph captain and eventually a Vigil Crusader, he likes to have meals that can be fixed pretty quickly, and stir fry is usually at the top of the list.

Sebastian prefers both savory and sweet foods. He’s drawn to curries and chilies as well as sorbets and cakes. There are a few Canthan and Orrian food stalls and restaurants that he frequents whenever he’s in Divinity’s Reach and Lion’s Arch that serve most of his favorite dishes.  

Elizabeth’s favorite foods tend to fall in the sweets category. Ice cream is definitely at the top of the list, her favorite being saffron-mango ice cream with a slice of allspice cake. Other then that, she’s also fond of most foods with omnomberries as part of the ingredients.

A talented cook herself and the source for Hjalmar’s passion for cooking, Astrid tends to share a liking for the same foods as her son. She harbors a bit more preference to fish, however, and tends to go fishing a lot to stock up food for her lodge.

Thrain tends to prefer venison over most meats, usually in the forms of steak or jerky. He’s also pretty fond of soufflés and mushrooms, his favorite dish being mushrooms Yakkington. 

Partially due to the experimental cybernetics the Inquest saddled him with, Rorik has to eat a large amount of food in order to retain the energy his implants manage to leech off of him. A lot of what he eats is usually high in carbs and saturated fats, as he tends to eat the Tyrian equivalent of fast food and instant ramen, although Hjalmar’s currently trying to get him to branch out a bit beyond that.

Isla absolutely adores cheesecake. If she had a chance to get away with only eating one type of food for the rest of her life, it would probably be that. She’s particularly fond of mint strawberry and chocolate. Her second favorite food would have to be pie, regardless of filling.

Jerky! Surina absolutely loves all types of jerky, be it dolyak, venison, or boar. It’s easy to get ahold of and she almost always has it on hand. She also has a bit of a weakness for different kinds of crab cakes and ice cream.

During the campaign in the Maguuma Jungle, Lorelei didn’t have much of a chance to discover favorite dishes as she aided Guenhwyvar in her rebellion against her sire Mordremoth. Since the fall of the Elder Jungle Dragon, however, Lorelei has managed to take some personal time for herself to explore the world around her. Lately, she’s discovered she absolutely loves chocolate chip cookies.

Having lived in Amnoon a good portion of her life, a lot of Zaahira’s favorite dishes tend to consist of a variety of seafood. Tilapia and shellfish are among her favorites, and she has tried sand shark meat at least once, but has decided it wasn’t her favorite thing. Other then that, she is quite fond of red lentil saobosas and sugar rib roasts.

The Scions (Guenhwyvar, Thanatos, Ignatius, Freyja, and Nimueh) are a bit more tricky to pin down, given how dragons are most notably known for consuming magic itself. But, if Aurene is any indication, it would be safe to assume that fish and meat would be a staple within their diet as well. With Seimur Oxbone’s latest aspiration to turn cooking with Bloodstone into an art, I wouldn’t put it past them to be possibly drawn to that as well.

[myheroacaoc]

Surina Origins Pt. 1

8A more indepth look into the crazy dream that spawned my OC. It’s long (I almost feel bad, but don’t) and it’s probably terrible. I know it will be sloppy, but I wrote it out more for my own piece of mind than anything else. Hopefully getting this trash out will help with the flow of other, better, things I’d rather be working on.

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

'He is tall as hell!' Surina thought, turning back towards her shop. She had managed to catch him again today and she wondered why she hadn't noticed this yesterday. He wasn't difficult to pick out from the crowd- one part due to his height and the other part being his ridiculous looking yellow suit. They exchanged their pleasantries, she gave him another sample of "Vitali-tea" and hoped he would stop in to actually buy a cup before they parted ways.

She idly wondered if he had participated in one of those reality TV shows where people lose a lot of weight rather quickly. But, typically, they tend to gain muscle mass, right? Either way, it was puzzling to her how his clothes just hung off of him. She was curious and couldn't help but to want to know more.

Inside her small cafe, a few regulars lounge on the pillows scattered across the floor. Ceiling fans hang low and spin slowly, pushing the heavy summer air as best they could. The TV was on, though with the volume so low she couldn't hear what was being said. Not that it mattered to her anyway- every single morning the news was laden with the latest shenanigans of those playing heroes and villains. She was tired of hearing about it and having no choice but to be one of the countless civilians affected. She scoffed at herself for even allowing herself to muse on the subject.

I just need to keep the shop up and running so I can pay the bills and take care of mom. She told herself, as she began scrubbing the wooden countertop.

If anything happened to me, she wouldn't be able to go on. Surina knew this to be true, but still couldn't help but feel bitter about it all.

If her older brother had taken his responsibilities seriously, then he would have been the one to inherit the family business. Instead he chose to go to UA, then he saw how little heroes like him could make and chose to be a villian. Instead, using his powers to extort those weaker then him- those much like his own family.

He runs his own "agency" which is, in all reality, just a group of thugs meaner than anyone else living nearby. Of course no one messes with them or their turf and as a resident Surina has to pay for their so-called protection.

.

She's startled from her thoughts by a rap on the counter. Speak of the Devil, she almost sighed aloud. One of his "Agents" was standing at the counter across from her. "What do you want? You're two weeks early." "Boss is going on vacation. He needs this months payment now."

"Now? You're two weeks early! How can you expect me to pay two weeks early?"

"I wasn't asking for an explanation- I was asking for the money."

Surina could tell her brother's henchman was not in the mood to bicker- so, with a sigh, she lifted the counter to allow him to enter.  The two of them walk through the small kitchen area and into a smaller office where Surina opens the safe.

"I have two weeks now- you can take this."

"It's only half," he starts to say, but she's held up a hand to stop him.

"It’s because we're only half way through the month. You can't think that I make that much money."

Apparently he did, the way his face crinkles. He looks past her to verify that the safe is empty.

"All I have left is the change I need to make for the customers. If you take that I won't be able to run the business."

The Agent nods, looking a bit less surly now that he understands just what his boss sent him into. Maybe her brother will think twice about his ridiculous demands.

.

The rest of her day goes by uneventfully. While she keeps an eye out for Toshinori on his inevitable trip home, though she again does not catch sight of him. In the distance there are explosions, no doubt from heroes thwarting another villainous plot. It's time to close up shop and call it a night.

..

The next day she chose to avoid giving samples in the morning sun and instead sweep the cafe's covered porch under a fan. The heat was stifling and, though she needed the business, she hoped no one would order a hot cup of tea. It was with her focus on the tiny piles of accumulated dust that he finally approached the shop.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Surina looked up with a smile.

"Toshinori! How are you?" She had always prided herself on remembering everyone names, but he looked surprised that she did.

"I am well," he smiled. "I was hoping to purchase some of that tea you've been giving me?"

Surina nods and gestures for him to enter the cafe, excited to have won over a new customer. At his request, she showed him the slow and careful way she brews the leaves in order to achieve maximum flavor. He watched closely before buying a kettle and cup along with a bag of his favorite leaves.

"You can just call me 'Surina', you know?" She wasn't a fan of formalities, it wasn't like she was much of anyone anyway.

"I'm glad you like my tea," she added after a pause. He sat across the counter from her and she leaned forward onto it- taking some pressure off her feet.

He smiles, just barely, "I didn't know I could like tea so much," he admits.

"Best tea in town!" She reiterates with pride.

He chuckles and drinks some more. "So do you live around here? I feel like I've been seeing you on your way to work or something."

"Work," he questions, before clearing his throat, "Ah, yes. Work. I suppose I have been."

His response was evasive, piquing her interest. "You do have a job, right?" She probes, "Some of my customers are saying you look homeless."

He visibly flinches at this assertion, "H-homeless?" He even sounds a little bewildered.

"Y-yeah, I mean," Surina gestures at him, and he looks down at his suit.

"What?" Oh, no. He sounds genuinely confused. Surina feels the heat rise to her face.

"Well, uh, it's just that... you could probably use that jacket as a tent."  Now her cheeks surely were red. She knew it was impolite, but it wasn't like she couldn't not explain herself now.

Toshinori just laughs, "I like a bit of extra room," a statement that almost comes off as a joke.

Surina laughs at this, feeling less worried about having possibly hurt his feelings. She couldn't help but to be honest, even f it was at her own detriment.

"You run this place all by yourself?" He asks as he spins on the stool to take a look around.

She smiles proudly to herself, "Yep, it's just me taking care of it all now." He nods, cupping the warm tea in his hands despite the heat.

"Safest bite to eat in town?" He reads a poster featuring a 5 star review that she had posted on the wall.

"Mm-hm! We haven't had a single villainous attempt here in over a year now!" She offers a smile, but surely her emotions have leaked through. He looks at her curiously.

"This district if full of ruffians, I wonder why they leave you alone?" Not willing to share this sensitive information with him, he waves a hand dismissively and says, "It's because everyone knows not to mess with me." She raises an eyebrow in his direction, as if in challenge, though it’s more of a distraction.

"Oh? Do you have some kind of super-powered quirk that everyone is in awe of then?" He smiles almost mischievously.

She laughs, a quick snort of amusement. "If I told you that, then you wouldn't be too nervous to try anything in the future."

He almost looks embarrassed at the insinuation and she quickly backpedals. "N-not that I think you could be a villain or anything!" Ergh, I just had to go and make it worse. First I insinuate that he's homeless and now that he could be a bad guy? I wish my mouth had a filter!

He chuckles softly and turns his face away from her.

"Listen, it's just that I don't really like to talk about my quirk at all. And if the sense of mystery keeps bad guys away, then I'm happy with it." She takes a sip of her tea so as to hide her expression. She doesn't like lying, no matter how necessary it could be. He turns back to face her, but by the time the cup leaves her lips she has already composed herself with a smile.

He smiles back, "I suppose I should be leaving. I had a late start today, but I still gotta go to work."

"Alright," Surina nods, "I am happy you stopped by today, thank-you."

As he stands to exit, the screen door swings open. Though Toshinori doesn't see who has entered, he gets the impression from Surina's sudden paleness that the visitor is unwanted. He turns to see a man dressed in a black suit, despite this heat. The sunglasses he is wearing hides the expression beneath, but Toshinori doesn't quite like how this looks.

"I'll stop by later too," he says, hoping the intruder has heard as well. With this he leaves the cafe.

.

A powerful foe can always use powerful allies, he rationalized. And if he thinks she's got people at her back, maybe he won't try anything? He is worried about her- here. He worried about a lot of people actually, but he was specifically worried about her and how the villains may target her. After all, she was running what must be a successful business and they were running wild. He spent a part of his mornings stopping robberies just around the corner. He pauses a moment on the porch, just long enough to hear the start of their conversation.

.

Back inside the cafe, the man approaches the counter.

"Boss wasn't too happy with the payment you offered yesterday."

Surina leans forward, her hands firmly on the counter so he can not easily pass. "He wants me to ask you why the safest place in district also isn't the busiest."

"Are we supposed to expect people to come into this neighborhood just because this one spot is safe? People are still getting robbed on the streets! The way all of you act around here has been unacceptable!" Her voice is raised in frustration, yet it cracks a bit with her fear.

The sunglasses do little to hide the bruising on the man's cheek. He probably had endured a beating for the disappointing sum he returned with yesterday. She wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to demonstrate his beating for her. But he doesn't move to, he simply leans forward and lowers his voice. Maybe not all villians are pure evil, she thought, watching him closely.

"You know your brother, he doesn't think a lot of things through." He leans forward, elbows on the counter, posture relaxing. Absentmindedly, he brushes his fingers to his bruised cheek.

"He is most generously giving you an extension- but he needs the money you owe him." The statement sends a chill down her spine. It could be for anything, she thought- but, knowing him, he probably owes the wrong people money.

"He has allowed me to pass on his terms to you, so you had a bit of a heads up: One more week."

"What," she uttered in shock. "A week?" There wasn't a way she could pay that. Not without siphoning away funds for fresh leaves or maybe her own spending on things like food. She shook her head.

"And payments can resume to normal thereafter." His tone is carefully cool as he pushed himself away from the counter. His posture becomes rigid  once again as he stands straight and reaches into his jacket. As he pulls out his wallet the door creaks open.

.

"Excuse me!" A sharp voice cuts through the tension built up in the room. Toshinori bursts back in, looking as if he was worried he may have interrupted. The man in the suit holds his wallet out calmly and finishes his thought,

"I'd like to buy some of your loose leaf, Surina," the Agent says in a warmer tone. She cracks a smile, not having expected this."Alright, let me take care of you." She responds, picking up a familiar jar.

"I, ah, forgot my bag here," Toshinori says a little abashedly as he retrieves it from the paper bag from the stool at the very end.

He exits before she has a chance to say anything, the Agent following quickly behind him.

.

Surina let out a deep sigh and leaned her weight against the counter. Mentally she does the math, figuring how much she can actually skim off the top of her personal living wages. She knows she shouldn't be enabling her brother's habits, especially when it comes to the way he spends money, but he has made it more than clear what he is capable of with his local terrorism.

Her hands flick out her phone, opening the cafe's web page and uploading a snap of a recently brewed cup of tea.

The next day Toshinori is able to come back, she looks a little worse for wear. Maybe a bit more stressed at the uptick of nearby brazen robberies? He had done his best to curb the violent crime in her district, but it wasn’t enough.

2288

[celticrune]

For the OC interview thing I would like to ask every 5th question (so 5, 10, 15, etc.)

Thank you so much! 

Since you didn’t specify which ocs, I’m just gonna answer this for the lot of them. Except for Val, as they don’t really have a moral compass while with Temperance, and afterwards it depends a lot on how they were freed.

1. Which should besaved – a bus full of innocent lives or a loved one?Jay“The innocent lives. It’d be a hard choice for sure, but no love is worth morethan the lives of innocent people.”

Morana“A loved one. Keeping him safe is the most important.”

Surina“Whoever will be of most use to society. It’s simple math.”

Keiji“A loved one. You know, if I had any of those.”

Tanwen“What- What kind of choice is this? There has to be a way to save both, right?There has to be.”

Temperance“That rather depends on whether there are appearances to be upheld. If it werejust me, well. I do not have many I would call ‘loved ones’, but I am ratherpossessive of what is mine. Innocent civilians, on the other hand, are noconcern of mine.”

Whisper“I… don’t know. I should save the innocents but if it came to it, I don’t knowif I could.”

Raya“Probably my loved one.”

5. Is it better tohurt others before they hurt you or let yourself be walked all over and hurt byothers?Jay “I wouldn’t hurt people when they’ve given me no reason to, but I won’thesitate to pay them back if they do.”

Morana“‘If anything threatens you and yours, end it.’ If only things could always bethat simple. There are foes you can’t fight, beings too powerful to take astand against. Don’t make my mistakes.”

Surina“People have tried to hurt me. It’s not a mistake they get to make twice.”

Keiji“Standing up for yourself’s such a waste of energy most times. It’s not likepeople can really do all that much damage.”

Tanwen“It’s better to be hurt than to hurt others. I mean, I can take it! No one elseshould have to.”

Temperance“I do deny the accusation of ‘hurting’ anyone, but first move advantage isquite a useful concept. Simply ensure they are loyal before the thought ofhurting you ever comes to mind.”

Whisper“If someone is looking to hurt you or others, you have to stand up foryourself! It’s the heroic thing to do. No one’s ever been remembered for lyingdown and giving up.”

Raya“It varies, depending on the situation.”

10. If a lot of people,possibly innocent people, have to die in order to make a real change, is itworth it? Can you live with their deaths even if it helps people in thepresent?Jay“If it is a change for the better, like overthrowing a corrupt ruler, thenyes.”

Morana“If the change helps more people than it hurts, I suppose so.”

Surina“Yes.”

Keiji“You say that like I give a shit about changing the world.”

Tanwen“I.. suppose it depends on the change? If it helps people who really need it?But even then, if it gets people killed, how good a change can it be? There hasto be a better solution that can be found.”

Temperance“That depends entirely on whether the change will be beneficial to me, my dear.The rebellion has proven quite fruitful, largely because of the lives it hasclaimed, so if this is the kind of change you are talking about then yes. It isworth it, and I will not lie awake over the death of Tergeste’s citizens.”

Whisper“…Maybe.”

Raya“Those who can’t adapt to a change will die. While I would mourn them, andpray for their essence to be returned to the cycle, their deaths are no reasonto halt change.”

15. Is lying toothers to gain their approval more important than being genuine and hated?Jay “There’s white lies, and then there’s being a two-faced snake. I really can’tstand the latter.”

Morana“If people take issue with who I am, they are not worth my time. Still, thereare things not everyone needs to know. My business is my own.”

Surina“The approval of others matters very little to my mission.”

Keiji“More fun to be hated, isn’t it?”

Tanwen“Why would you lie to people? If you’re lying to them so they’ll be yourfriend they’ll never be real friends. So no, people’s approval is never worthlying for.”

Temperance“It is worth more to be loved, of course. It does make people so frightfullyeasy to read.”

Whisper“I like it when people think I’m a badass hero. It’s okay if I have to lie alittle for that, right?”

Raya“People are so confusing.”

20. Are there peoplein this world who, no matter how much time and penitence is given, should neverbe forgiven?Jay “No. As long as they’re genuinely regretful of what they did, and in a positionwhere they can’t do it again, they should be able to move on.”

Morana“Yes.”

Surina“Betrayal can never be forgiven.”

Keiji“I can think of a few.”

Tanwen“I don’t think so. Everyone has goodness inside them, even if they’ve lostsight of it.”

Temperance“Some would say I am one of these people. Personally, I do not see thepoint of forgiveness in general.”

Whisper“They’re not necessarily people, so I don’t know if it counts, but.. I don’tthink I can ever forgive them.”

Raya“Those who destroy the cycle’s balance. Their disrespect is unforgivable.”

25. What is moreimportant to you? An idea of yours being used and appreciated or the credit forthat idea beings yours and yours alone?Jay “I put a maker’s mark on my works sure, but the most important thing is thatthe things I make can be of use to people.”

Morana“No discovery I’ve made should be shared with the world.”

Surina“Ideas belong to society, not individuals. Its use to society is more importantthan individual credit.”

Keiji“If I came up with something revolutionary then yeah, I’d want people to knowwho came up with that. Generally though, assassinations are best done inrelative anonymity.”

Tanwen“Credit isn’t important. As long as the idea is out there and being used to dogood, that’s all that matters.”

Temperance“The practices I have perfected are all regarded as rather unseemly, so I wouldprefer for my name to not be related to them. If it were a more positivelyregarded idea however, I would find a way to insist on proper credit.”

Whisper“Well it’s the credit, right? To be a hero, people’ve gotta know your name, andyour fame can’t spread if people don’t know what you did.”

Raya“I doubt this’ll ever happen, but credit would matter little to me.”

30. Do we live in aworld of parallels? Can there be no hope without grief? No happiness withoutsuffering? Or is a utopia possible?Jay “You’ve gotta get through the bad to get to the good. It’s hard, but life isall the more rewarding for it.”

Morana“It’s not like there’s a higher power enforcing this balance, but yes.Suffering and joy are two sides of the same coin.”

Surina“This continent is full of strife and chaos. There’s no utopia possible here,but with proper guidance they might come close.”

Keiji“Honestly, who fucking cares. We all get fucked up and the best thing you cando is just enjoy life. Get proper fucked up, cause it’s not like the world isn’tshit already.”

Tanwen“I want to say yes, I want to so badly. I want to believe that at their core,everyone wants to do good. But the longer I spent down here, in this wretcheddark, the more I’m starting to doubt that. I’ve seen so much horror, so muchhurt. I’ve hurt so many people.

“I want to believe a utopia is possible, but I’m not sureanymore.”

Temperance“Negative stimuli make affection and love so much more effective. You cannotrebuild someone until you have broken them down, after all.”

Whisper“They used to tell us that in church. ‘There can be no joy without suffering’.I don’t know if it’s true, but I don’t like it.”

Raya“There is balance in this as there is in all things. Loss and grief are necessary,as are joy and rebirth.”

35. Is every personin this world wholly unique or can they be categorized? Can they be grouped andmentally dissected? Are you just another sheep in another flock or are you thesole unique soul?Jay “Everyone is their own person, but that doesn’t mean they don’t share traits.Same eyes in different people, as the folks call it.”

Morana“We like to think we’re all unique, but to those powerful enough we’re justcattle. Funny little animals they can prod and poke at to their heart’s content.”

Surina“Of course people can be categorised. Without this, there could never be order.”

Keiji“From the way some people act, sheep sounds pretty accurate. Good thing noteveryone’s that boring.”

Tanwen“Everyone is their own person! Everyone has something unique, something that’swholly theirs, something the world wouldn’t be the same without. That’s thebeauty of this world.”

Temperance“Each person has their own individual traits, of course, but there are certaincore principles that apply to everyone in some measure. Fortunately so, raisingmy birds would be far more complex if each required a truly unique approach.”

Whisper“A bit of both? Some people are alike, but they can also be different.”

Raya“People are far too complicated to be sheep.”

[celticrune]

fuck u have fun with the even numbers of the oc ask thing

likewise

Under the cut for length

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?don’t make me choose 

Really though it varies. like, I’ve been working on a fic for Keiji so I’m still loosely in his headspace most the time, so i’m thinking about him a lot. Around DnD sessions I’ll be sticking around their headspace. I run two campaigns with one group and we’re about to switch, so I’m gonna be talking about Morana a lot more then.

4. A character you rarely talk about?Mokir, mainly, but that’s because he isn’t really a well developed character. Which is fine, cause I never intended for him to be.

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?Not really, no

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!Does DnD count as rping? cause then it’s all of them

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design? I rarely have a v elaborate visual design for characters, so none really?

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lotboy. I love all of @kima-ladyofvord and @spitaverse-burr‘s OCs. They’re amazing and  they’re my children and I love them. 

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory All of them. But let’s go with Morana, cause she’s had a Bad Time and most of it wasn’t my fault. 

So Morana grew up in the southern mountains, as part of a clan of outcasts of sorts. Mainly tieflings, but they pretty much accepted anyone. She grew up happy, but she was always curious, always wanted to learn. With the clan’s blessing,  she left to go to magic school. She was happy there, studying anything she could get her hands on. She focused on demons and devils however, wanting to learn more about her heritage. 

All the books were somewhat biased however, and a lot of stories conflicted. She had the brilliant idea to summon a devil and just interrogate them, and did just that. She summoned Mephisto, who broke through the bindings like wet paper, and she was forced to make a deal. She became a warlock, was thrown out of magic college, and became an adventurer.

During the campaign however, she ended up having a vision (through long and complicated circumstances which I’d be more than willing to explain if people are curious). In this vision, the Raven Queen, her deity, showed her a memory that she’d either suppressed or that’d been removed. She saw her parents, in the midst of a ritual to summon a demon. They looked like they were being compelled, and they didn’t acknowledge her no matter what she did. They ended up summoning Mephisto, and she was forced to watch as he killed her parents. He looked at her, then, and touched her wrist. 

Her skin, which used to be a swirl of red and light blue (after her parents), turned black, and Mephisto told her he’d be back for her, before disappearing and leaving her with the skewered corpses of her parents.

So yeah. She’s been marked by a high-ranking devil since childhood, forgot about it, and is now doing his bidding for Reasons.

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?Tanwen would be better at the human anatomy part of it, Raya at the flora/fauna part.

18. Any OC crackships? None that immediately come to mind? 

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?Surina knows a lot of drinking songs, and similar things that she used to sing with her army buddies. She has an alright voice, nothing spectacular. Temperance, to her shame, is terrible at singing. Whisper has a great singing voice, she used to sing in the choir during services. She pretended to hate it, but she actually misses it quite a lot. Raya doesn’t have a great singing voice,  but she hums a lot.

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?Mokir is, like, so misunderstood y’all

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?oooh that’s a good question. Maybe Raya, because she seems like a very chill person to be around. Honestly though it’d be fascinating to meet any of them

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? Nah. I’ve had to work around stats a few times, but that usually only affects gameplay, not characterisation

28. Your most dangerous OC? They could all kill me with their pinky finger. But the most immediately dangerous would be Mokir, cause he has a v short temper and few inhibitions.

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection? Whisper. 

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? Surina probably, because she’s the most level-headed. She’s not likely to panic, and she can defend herself quite well.

34. Do you have any twin characters?Nope

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)? I have a few OCs which are closely intertwined with others. Morana and Lux’ Rorik are canonically in a relationship. Temperance and Lux’ Chal used to be in a relationship, and they’re still close.

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer? Temperance is great at ballroom dancing, as is Val. 

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!so many. So many nights i’ve spent talking with Tori and Lux about our characters, and A Lot of hours of playing DnD.

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?Morana is that kinda nerd. She studies history,  so it’s right up her wheelhouse 

44. Something you like about your OCs in generalthat’s a very broad question

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?I could make a very large collage out of all the times Tori and Lux have called me out on this, if I had a lot of time and were so inclined.

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pureTanwen. Whisper, to some extent.

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wanti don’t know?? those were some pretty exhaustive questions man

[celticrune]

and for u the uneven numbers of the oc questions thing!!

…boiUnder a cut for length

1. Your first OC ever?From the OCs on my ask page, that’d be Morana. I created her for my first DnD campaign, when I needed an npc to beef up the party. She’s grown a lot since then, especially since I started playing her as a PC, but yea she’s fun.

My first OC ever is more difficult. I think the technical first would be a fan oc I made for an rp, Arya. Wait no that’s wrong she’s the second. The forums were taken down so I can’t check, but I’m pretty sure the first rp I joined there was a dinosaur rp, where I played like a velociraptor also called Arya (I was very creative). I might’ve written some stuff before that but I don’t remember, so I’ll count this.

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?nope

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? oh jeez. don’t make me choose between my children

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?Well, do DnD campaigns count as stories? I’ve also written oneshots for various characters, and I’ve got a giant college au with @spitaverse-burr and @kima-ladyofvord​ that features all our character which could count as a story.

So yeah basically all of them.

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?why?? that’s the main question I have for adoptable OCs just why. not in a judgey way, i just genuinely do not understand

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? Tanwen. She’s the only pure character I have, all the rest are assholes. Tanwen is an actual ray of sunshine she’s great

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? Keiji, 100%. Whisper as well, if it’s something "cool” or if she was dared to. Though, Whisper is still pretty nervous about actually breaking the law, so it depends a bit on what it is.

Raya is not an active troublemaker so much as she has a casual disregard for these odd rules of civilization. She lives in forests like 99% of the time give her a break.

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?yes

17. Any OC OTPs? oh boy do i ever. Morana and Lux’ Rorik, Temperance and Lux’ Chal, Val and Tori’s Lytte, Keiji/therapy (maybe also Keiji and Lux’ Wyatt), Raya/trees, Tanwen and Lux’ Ghilli (they’d be so cute..)

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)All of them, honestly. They’re all a part of me and they’re all very lovely assholes

21. Your most artistic OCNone of them really have a defined artist thing in their canon, but Keiji likes carving little wood birds to keep his hands busy during long watches and the like. Tanwen loves reading sappy romance novels, and in the college au she’s definitely written some terrible friendfiction (it’s like her one big secret, apart from the sister thing). 

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?this is difficult damn. I think maybe Keiji? The first concept I had for him was “a monk who’s had to leave their order, and is v bitter and angry about it”. His backstory hasn’t changed, but his way of dealing with it has. I ended up dumping a bunch of my issues on him, and now he’s far more betrayed than angry, and he hides it all behind humour and snark. 

Beside him, Morana has also changed. I introduced her as a quiet, pragmatic npc character. Since I started playing her she’s gotten a lot more emotional and she’s found a temper (and a tragic backstory)

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)As mentioned above, Keiji has a lot of my issues, mainly the selfdestructive habits and never talking about your feelings or being honest about them ever. 

Raya has my love for nature and natural magics. Morana has my curiousity, the love for knowledge and the need to know (even if it comes at the cost of summoning a devil). Whisper has my protectiveness, and subsequent troubles with communicating it. 

Honestly, they all have parts of me, cause well that’s just what happens when you create characters. and i love them all they’re good

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song? nope

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?Keiji. Whisper would only do it on a dare so there’d be other people involved. Morana definitely would, because she’s dumb and reckless and in search of cryptids. 

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)ohohohoho. I recently found the conversation where Lux, Tori, and I talked about this for the college au.

Morana has a blog devoted to cryptids, but she also reblogs all history posts she can find. (she corrects them and adds sources if necessary). Surina isn’t technically in this au, but I could see her running like a fitness blog. Raya has a gardening blog, with tips and logs about her own plants. Val would have a lot of selfies w Lytte (and more pictures of just her), a lot of backstage pics from theatre, actual journal posts on recommendation of their therapist, and a truly worrying amount of posts about how to hide various weapons on your person.

Tanwen would run one of those cutesy study blogs, with prettily coloured to do lists, pictures of an organised workspace, and lots of self care tips for exam week. Keiji has various sideblogs. He has a fitness blog which is also about his martial arts studies, a shitpost meme blog (his main), an edgy aesthetic blog (bruised knuckles, people smoking on top of buildings, that kinda thing), and probably more.

Whisper would run like a proper blog blog, with logs from her many scouting trips and like mountain climbing adventures. Also a lot of pictures from those. Temperance isn’t really interested in going through the hassle (cause y’know blind), and Mokir is a cat. There is a tumblr and a linked twitter account dedicated to every sighting, and pictures and applause whenever he’s attacked someone.

33. Your shyest OC?Either Tanwen or Whisper probably, though neither of them are that bad. Tanwen can speak up and is stubborn enough to defend her opinion when it counts (which is often), and Whisper overcompensates with bluster and rambling.

35. Any sibling characters? Nope. I mean, some of them have siblings, but i don’t have two characters who are siblings

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human Morana and Temperance are tiefling. They’re a race which used to be human, until they were corrupted by demons, and now they look various levels of demonic. Surina is a dragonborn, so definitely not human. Val is a half-elf, though they’ve passed as both elven and human. Raya is a woodelf. Mokir is a rakashan, so basically an anthro cat. He’s based off like norwegian forest cats, so he’s an already burly and tall man who’s then like 50% fur it’s hilarious. 

39. Introduce any character you want Well in that case let me introduce the characters from The Roles We Play, since they’re not on my blog. Astra is a highelf wizard and she’s adorable. She’s quite shy, but she loves talking about the stars and magic, and someone else always needs to be on watch with her because she will without fail be distracted by watching the stars.

Nira is a human paladin of the Raven Queen. Her family didn’t quite agree with her choice to go study, but she found a second family with the order. She loves adventure, and she’s always the one most eager to explore ancient ruins and dangerous-looking caves.

Rémi is a half-elf bard. He’s the mom friend of the team, armed with exasperation and fond amusement, always ready to talk his friends out of jail. He also carries at least four instruments on his person at any given time.

Vengeance is a tiefling ranger with an owl companion called Hope. They go by Ven, most of the time, and they tend to be a voice of reason. They favour dry humour and snark, and they often spend long watches carving wooden figurines. 

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)Yes! Lux is a gift to god’s good earth and they have a lot of amazing art here, including some of my characters~

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confessWell, one thing I noticed recently-ish is that almost none of my characters tend to be honest with their feelings. Keiji’s the most obvious, but Tanwen, Morana, Surina,  Whisper, Val, Temperance, they all have an element of acting, of being various levels of two-faced, of pretending you’re fine always. They all do it in different ways, but yeah.

Another thing is that I tend to make low charisma characters? like so many of them have cha as their dump stat. I also find it difficult to play low-int characters, so they all tend to have a higher intelligence.

45. A character you no longer use?Not from the characters on my oc page, but there are a shitton of characters from my rp days who I’ve abandoned.

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?..probably. Can’t recall any specific examples rn, but I think Val’s been adopted more than once, same with Whisper. Val and Lux’ Chal also have a fun au where Chal adopts Val and runs away with her, and they become a family and travel together and it’s all fun and good until Temperance’s assassins manage to chase them down. 

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes Keiji. 100%

[myheroacaoc]

My Hero Academia OC

OK So

I binged  the first two seasons of My Hero Academia and had a wonderful dream that has spawned my OC.

I never meant for this to happen.

Do I include a word count? Is that what new fanfics do now?

◇────◇─────◇

Surina intercepted a new face on the street. She’d never seen him before, so he must not be from around here, right? Blonde hair, dark blue eyes- maybe American?

She ran up to him, a tray full of a variety of teas, intent on getting him to try at least one. Once they have their first sample they’re always hooked!

With a smile, she deftly made her way through the crowd, dodging those who paid her no mind and threatened to topple her tray.

“Hey!” She called, drawing the strangers attention. Surina smiles widely, “Would you like a sample of my tea?”

She leans in closer to the stranger, who is keeping his original pace, seemingly ignoring her.

“Best tea in town!” She says, pushing the tea tray in his direction.

“LIsten,” he begins, but she deftly interrupts

“This one is for vitality, this one will relax you and this one-”

“Do you have one that will make you go away?”

His tone is dour, but Surina is not deterred.

“Any one will do,” she smiles, hiding her hurt feelings, “Just give it a try! I promise you won’t regret it!”

Finally, the man picks up the first offering: vitality. Taking a swift drink, his demeanor seems to change, from indifference to total interest.

“Hey!” He exclaims, “this is pretty good!”

Surina smiles again- “Sure is, best in town!”

“You can call me Surina,” she sticks out her hand, “I run the shop riiight over there,“ she jabs a thumb over he shoulder towards the nondescript building over her shoulder.

“Safest shop in the district!” She boasts. Of course, that title comes at a price, but at least she’s been free of villainy...

“Toshinori Yagi,” he offers, placing the cup back on her tray.

“You must be new around here,” she says brightly.

“Yeah,” he shrugs, “Been a while, at least.”

His answer is cryptic and combined with his dour demeanor, Surina can’t help but to be drawn into him,

“Well, you’re welcome to come back!” Her voice is almost melodious, her “customer service” attitude at 110%.

“Hmfph,” is his noncommittal response. Surina nods politely and steps out of his way as he continues past.

◇────◇─────◇

But he comes back. Day after day. At first it was the tea that drew him in (it was genuinely great!), and then it was the company. Surina enjoyed his dry whit. She wasn’t put off by his sickly appearance or by how strangely tall he was. Although it looked as if life itself had drained from him completely, he always had a smile for her.

◇────◇─────◇

Soon, Surina learned that he had been traveling out of his way to visit all this time. And she was not entirely convinced that it is purely for the tea itself. 

◇────◇─────◇

Her shop wasn’t kept safe by just anyone, no. It was kept safe by her brother - the one who doomed her to run shop in the first place. If he hadn’t left, then surely Surina could have become the heroine she had always dreamt of becoming, But, no, her brother had to attempt to be his own hero. The eldest surely had to lead, right? He quickly became bored of being the one who saved everyone for little to no pay.

Instead, he chose to become a villain, using his powers to extort those weaker then him- those much like his own family.

Surina paid him off to protect their shop, but when his goons showed up early and she couldn't pay in full, she lost that protection. By now, Toshinori had witnessed a few of these interactions. He was one of the few privvy to the fact that she paid a pretty sum for running the safest tea shop in town and he wasn’t happy with it.

Of course, since they had agreed early on not to share their quirks with each other, Surina had no idea what he was capable of. No idea that he was the very Symbol of Peace.

◇────◇─────◇

A tray topples, but she deftly catches it, Toshinori’s eyes widen at he sight, It's about closing time and by all means she should be exhausted, but it’s almost as if she preempted the fall. Her gaze shifts from the tray to him almost as if she was frightened that he had witnessed that. But Toshinori Yagi pretneded to be looking elsewhere and Surina quickly relaxed, glad that she hadn't accidentally revealed her quirk.

◇────◇─────◇

Later, when her brother’s goons attacked her shop for the rest of then early payment, All Might appears and held her fend of the aggressors.

When he leaves and Toshinori unwittingly emerges from the same sorry later, Surina doesn’t suspect a thing. Instead she’s happy that Toshinori has even shown up- even if he is a bit late.

◇────◇─────◇

There's so much more that I'll expand upon later. It was a pretty in depth dream...