#that's just... a fashion choice flora makes?

[probablygayattorneys]

I am a little confused, though. because in Layton Mystery Tanteisha, Marina has these charms on her bag, and Layton surmises that Luke gave them to her to serve as a means of verification, if she ever needed to turn to Layton for help. He would know that she was truly Luke's wife, because each of the charms represents a case they solved together. The train is clearly the Molentary Express, representing the events surrounding the Elysian box, and the rabbit is Subject 3, representing the events surrounding Future Luke's letter. So what's the bow?

[airyravenmaid]

SAGAU: My Style

Back at it again with sharing my personal ideas with the Self-Aware Genshin AU. I don't see myself writing a full-on fanfic about it because I do NOT trust myself with characterizing everybody properly, and some of the ideas I have in mind wouldn't make for a good universal experience for all, if that makes sense. So, instead, I'll just stick to pitching like I'm at a silly ol' business meeting and providing a simple layout. Now, keep in mind, this is going to focus more on my rendition of an Imposter AU specifically, which means I'm also going to do a little nitpicking of some common tropes in it that I find could be done better or even differently. It won't be me saying that anybody who writes them in the traditional sense is bad or doing a bad job, just what I'd do differently. So, without further ado, check out my mish-mushed ideas below the cut:

It all starts with the Creator Themsleves, aka, us. Or, rather, us before we became us. Not making sense? That's fine, but lemme delve into that a little better. Game lore-wise for this AU, there actually was a fully existing, fully breathing Creator that's been around since even before the Archons (but not by too much; Zhongli's still no spring chicken in spite of this). Yes, they did create Teyvat and all that's good in it like the flora, the fauna, and the creatures, and they had a close bond with said Archons not just as people serving, advising, and worshipping their God/ruler, but also in a legitimate friendship (so, no, they're not 100% subservient or gutless ass-kissers-- it's more of an equal dynamic). Maybe one Archon of your choice (within reason) being close enough to the point of being (secret) lovers, if you'd like. Such explains the Archons' deep attachment to the Creator, and their eagerness to see them again after tragedy-- like, say, the Cataclysm that razed Khaenri'ah-- renders them comatose and not to awaken again until present day. Until then, the Creator's body lies safely in sleep like Princess Aurora within their main temple/palace, occasionally visited by their old companions (minus Ei, who's in her hidey-hole until the Inazuma AQ's, but that goes without saying).

But, just before they do wake up, here comes a little (presumably Celestia-sent) POS known as the Imposter, who worms their way into the temple where the Creator lies, steals their garbs and replaces them with normal, less divine attire before sending their body far away apparently never to be seen again and lying on that resting spot acting as the Creator on the verge of waking up. And since no one knows what really happened, it looks like the promised day has come without issues, and the Imposter is welcomed by nearly all back to a throne that never actually belonged to them. As for the actual Creator... they're in good hands, because Teyvat would never mistake another for the All-Parent that breathed life into it and acts to protect their body hidden amidst nature in whatever region they landed in (your choice) until they really do wake up.

And when our in-game body does wake up, our real-life consciousness is transferred into it and overwrites our old, godly memories with our normal ones. Since I can't stand isekais that require us dying an early death IRL (like, at all, actually), we're either magically transported to Teyvat the old-fashioned magic way, or part of our consciousness goes into our in-universe body and leaves our physical forms in reality alone, thereby creating two versions of us going around two separate worlds. For better wording, that is, but that's the gist of it. Either way, we're the real deal Creator, but one without our old memories (apart from short visions we get of our old divine life that come up every now and again) as far as everyone else in Teyvat is concerned. They're not totally wrong, anyway. I was thinking this could be justified to everyone by our "past self" saying pre-slumber that they will reawaken without the knowledge of this world (aka, the Genshin one), but it will still very much be them/us.

By the way, when we stumble into the main town or city of whatever region we wound up in, the locals don't just immediately attack us for looking like the Imposter. While sometimes, I do enjoy kicking back and enjoying pure angst, I otherwise found that aspect of Villain/Imposter!SAGAU to be, comment dit-on... absurd, especially with nobody in Mondstadt (outside of that one nun not buying it and simply scolding him) giving two honks about Venti despite him looking like (being) Barbatos, and nobody in Liyue even noticing the resemblance between Zhongli and Rex Lapis/Morax. And given how much those nations revere their god, the argument of us being a higher deity cannot be made. So, instead, at absolute worst, people are just really unnerved by the uncanny resemblance we have to the Creator, but otherwise don't get alarmed... until the Imposter catches wind of us and changes that. The reason people start attacking us at all is because the Imposter weaves a forewarning of the Creator's antithesis equal to them in power known as the "Destroyer" will descend on Teyvat, attempt to steal the throne using the Creator's face, and do worse to the world than the Abyss Order ever could try to if not stopped. And, this may sound like something they just made up to get us killed, but in a way... it's true, only issue is that the acolytes + citizens have the wrong idea of who's who, of course. Plus, the actual, all-powerful Creator, if pushed too far by say... an incredibly lengthy and traumatic manhunt after being mistaken for the Destroyer, is capable of tearing the world limb from limb, because those who create can as easily destroy, but those who destroy can never create.

Speaking of "all-powerful"... why are we always completely powerless in these SAGAU works apart from crying and/or getting really angry (which ARE realistic and valid reactions to the shit we're going through, but it's not mutually exclusive to getting cool abilities)? Because we're not actually from Teyvat? Even Aether and Lumine have the power to wield the elements despite coming from somewhere else, and for us to not get that same honor is frankly dull as dishwater. That's a lot of missed potential to dip into the fantasy aspect of a fantasy game like Genshin Impact. It's here I'd like to take some inspiration from a show I've enjoyed for years known as none other than "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Not to mention, the term "avatar" generally refers to a "divine incarnation in human form", hello??? Ahem! In other words, instead of being completely incapable of defending ourselves, we-- being the almighty Creator-- are able to wield all seven elements at once, but we have to gradually learn how to effectively use and master them. We do start with one element (any of your choice), then work our way up in order of the loading screen. IE: say your element is Cryo, you'd have to go Geo -> Pyro -> Hydro -> Anemo -> Electro -> Dendro. Such was the same in our past life, but we had the Archons to teach us and help us master those abilities through time.

Which means now, we need other people to help us do it again in our new "incarnation", and that's in the form of 5-star Vision holders since they fit the bill of "master" a bit better, being the rarer, stronger characters and junk. Of course, this is likely with discretion, because some might not be wise to learn from (such as Klee, funny as that'd be). I'm also discounting learning from the Archons because not only has our time with them from the previous life passed, but I don't find it fair to learn from a powerful god of that element, even if we're a god ourselves. It's more balanced learning from someone beneath that level (so, yes, an adeptus would still qualify). Also, important note here: not every single playable character is going to try and kill us for the Creator-Destroyer thing. NPCs are one thing because, let's be real, they're sheep, but it isn't realistic or in-character for everybody playable to want us dead. While a fair chunk would probably be on board for the sake of not letting the world blow to smithereens (and not because, you know, Same Face Syndrome, because that's completely insane), some might not outright believe the alleged prophecy for one reason or another, such as not being fond/trusting enough of the apparent "Creator" to just listen to them right off the bat, or getting to already find out who the real Creator is and knowing we're not the enemy. Whatever the reason is, we're going to have allies, including ones that join us in our quest to defeat the Imposter and take back the throne to restore balance to Teyvat. This can also include those who initially sided with the Imposter, but for one reason or another such as seeing our gold blood, they have a change of heart and tag along for the ride. For us to just go about Teyvat on the lam with nobody having our back is just... depressing, and not even in the fun way, either. I understand this faction of SAGAU tends to be purely angst-based, but come on, it doesn't have to all be a total bummer all the time. There's no rule that says we can't go through the angsty, heartwrenching stuff with traveling companions to call our own there for us through it all.

Now, of course, whoever those traveling companions are is really up to you because not all of us are gonna wanna tag up with and learn from the same bitches as the next guy. So, it's anybody's game with anybody's reasoning and circumstances (such as which region we wake up in, who our first companion(s) would be there, then which region we move onto, and even what element we have to learn next). Also, fitting the max. number of characters you can have on one team, it'd just be four actively traveling alongside us through Teyvat with other allies remaining where they are, whether they helped us master an element or not. But, no matter anybody's personal tastes and choices, I really wish there was more of a thrilling "fantastical group adventure" kind of element to this genre of SAGAU, because the potential is there, just-- seldom reached, from what I've seen, personally. I'd be more than happy adding onto this with anything I might have missed, but that's basically the gist of my view of this AU.

[marymary-diva17]

Packing for the summer vacation (modern au)

Jake x reader x neytiri + sully kids

The annual summer vacation was almost here and everyone is excited, for the summer cruise trip. There are many things that need to be handle, for the sully family and company head off to summer time vacation.

Neteyam "Here are the last suitcases we can add to the pile to choose from, mama"

y/n "Thank you, honey for bringing them down for us along with the help of your brother"

lo'ak "It was cool to help so we get to choose from these suitcases"

y/n "Yes as we will be on a very long trip and will need the best suitcase for all our stuff"

Tuk “ I want suitcase poke dot hard suitcase mama can I have it beauty please”

loak “ aww Tuk I want that suitcase it so cool”

Tuk “ Loak”

loak “ I’m kidding you can have it as I lord your style baby sister”

Tuk “ thank you”

Kiri “ I will definitely take that flora hard suite case one as it my favorite”

y/n “ go ahead boys”

loak “ I will take the red hard suitcase one”

neteyam “ I will take the blue one as well”

y/n “ good now remember to check inside the suitcase, because there might be smaller suitcases in there”

kids “ yes mama” the kids smile at you happy as they had been overjoyed about this trip, and have been talking with their cousin and friends about the whole trip.

Y/n “ oh yes your suitcase will be looked once we get to ship for the vacation, due to rules and laws as well” 

Kids “ yes mama” 

Y/n “ Tuk baby I will be helping you pack your suitcase along with mom” 

Tuk “ okay mama but I’m a big girl”

Y/n “ I know but we still be checking your suitcase and your siblings” 

Y/n “ now I’m will need to choice a suitcase and soon your dad along with mom” 

Lo’ak “ what about money wise how will that work out for us"

y/n " well you all can bring a good amount of money but parents, will be there to buy for stuff as well"

kiri " okay"

y/n " remember to back enough clothes that can last us the whole cruises and extra just in case"

neteyam " yes mama"

y/n " now go pack if you want to right now I will be in my room packing, so if you need help call me and tuk I will leave you to chose to the clothes you want to bring"

tuk " thank you mama I'm a big girl I can do things on my own" tuk was heading off with her suitcase with a happy smile on her face, until she saw the stairs.

tuk " can I have some help please" the family laugh as lo'ak had showed tuk the right away to carrying a bigger suitcase upstairs. As the kids were packing stuff for the trip, you are in master bedroom packing your stuff.

tuk " mama how many swim suits can we pack"

y/n " two will be good just in case you change your mind or something, else happen to the other one"

tuk " okay mama can I show you what I'm going to pack"

y/n " sure honey" you had followed tuk to her room and saw the clothes she wanted to bring lay on the bed, she did a perfect job.

y/n " good job baby girl I'm go proud of you"

tuk " thank you mama"

y/n " a stuff animal as well"

tuk " I'm going to carry it on the plane or place in my bag"

y/n " whatever you want honey"

lo'ak " hey mama what swim trunks here make me look cool or will be good"

kiri " wow you have horrible fashion sense"

lo'ak " coming from the girl who obsessed flora prints and core of related to cottage or anything else base nature .... flower child"

kiri " hey my style is perfect skater boy"

neteyam " come on you two stop acting like little babies, this why dad would give you two a car"

lo'ak and kiri " stay out of this neteyam"

y/n " that it no more fighting about any fashion taste"

older kids " yes mama"

y/n " good now finish deciding what you what to wear" the kids had nodded their heads and soon went back to packing some, of their suitcase. They are your kids but sometime their arguments with each other can be entertaining but very confusing as well.

later that night

lo'ak " mama"

y/n " yes"

lo'ak " why did we need to pack some fancy clothes"

y/n " well we are going to have some dinners and one of restaurant on the ship, has a dressed code that needs to be obeyed"

kiri " oh okay I'm good with that"

y/n " no need to worry it a restaurant that will be good for everyone bases on diet and ages"

tuk " yeah"

neteyam " dad and mom are home" soon the sound of the garage door had opened.

Jake " hey we are home and we brought back dinner"

y/n " welcome home loves the kids and I did some packing today"

neytiri " that good to hear honey we are happy to be home and off from work, oh I can't wait for this vacation to start so we can have some fun and relax"

y/n " it will be good for us all to enjoy this time off"

Jake " so where are the suitcase"

lo'ak " we moved the empty ones inside there are still ones for you and mom to pick from"

Jake " aww thank you for leaving some of us"

lo'ak " anytime dad now time to eat" lo'ak had taken the take out from Jake and soon open the bag, as the kids started grabbing their food and sitting on the couch.

y/n " come on let have you two chose one and then we can watch our favorite show"

neytiri " okay I'm in lets me get changed" Jake and neytiri had went to get changed and soon retuned, as the chose some suitcase to sue for the trip. They had been amazed by the kids packing skills, asnow there was something less to worry about later on as the vacation got closer.

[techtow]

Exploring the Tranquil Trend of Naturecore

Introduction:

Naturecore, a delightful and serene aesthetic, has been gaining popularity as a breath of fresh air in the world of design and lifestyle. Rooted in the appreciation of nature's beauty, Naturecore invites individuals to immerse themselves in the calming elements of the natural world. Let's take a stroll through the enchanting realm of Naturecore and discover what makes it so captivating.

Embracing the Outdoors:

At its essence, Naturecore is all about bringing the outdoors in. It embraces earthy tones, organic textures, and the soothing colors found in the natural world. Think of mossy greens, earthy browns, and calming blues that evoke the tranquility of a forest or a serene lakeside.

Natural Elements in Design:

Naturecore seamlessly integrates natural elements into design aesthetics. Whether it's incorporating wooden furniture, stone accents, or even botanical prints, the goal is to create a space that reflects the beauty of the great outdoors. This design trend invites a sense of calmness and simplicity, providing a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Wardrobe Inspired by Nature:

Beyond home decor, Naturecore has found its way into fashion. Clothing inspired by this aesthetic often includes earth-toned palettes, sustainable fabrics, and prints reminiscent of flora and fauna. The result is a wardrobe that not only looks good but also feels connected to the natural world.

Mindful Living:

Naturecore goes beyond just aesthetics; it encourages a mindful way of living. This trend often aligns with sustainable practices, promoting eco-friendly choices and a deeper connection to the environment. Whether through plant-filled spaces, upcycled decor, or a commitment to reducing waste, Naturecore enthusiasts embrace a lifestyle that treads lightly on the planet.

Connecting with Nature:

In a world that sometimes feels overwhelmingly digital, Naturecore serves as a reminder to reconnect with the beauty that surrounds us. It invites people to take a moment to appreciate the rustling of leaves, the scent of pine, or the calming presence of a babbling brook.

Conclusion:

Naturecore is a celebration of the simple joys found in nature, translated into design, fashion, and lifestyle. With its calming and grounding elements, it offers a refuge from the chaos of modern life, encouraging individuals to embrace a more tranquil and connected way of living. So, whether you're redecorating your home or updating your wardrobe, consider infusing a bit of Naturecore to bring the serenity of the outdoors into your everyday life.

[djsherriff-responses]

Personal opinions and general character design critique regarding the Nymphs from Rayman (spoiler: they all suffer from having same face/body syndrome and the designers being too horny to consider other design elements)

Betilla: I feel her origins redesign was a downgrade from her whimsical style in the first game, but I also do understand why they wanted to change her, as origins was meant as a reboot of the franchise and they wanted Rayman to be the only limbless in the Glade of Dreams. But since origins ended up not being a series reboot (with its plot only existing in code) and Rayman having skins/costumes who are meant to be different limbless characters anyways , changing Betilla drastically was already meaningless in the long run , much less the choice to make her be a basic hot nymph

Outside of it being impossible to Google her name in front of family , I personally don’t mind how she looks in Origins as the red hair contrasts really nicely with the greens, if you really wanna push some symbolism imagery here you can make arguments the red + green is meant to be reminiscent of flowers or berries. Ultimately though it is just a green bikini outfit with thigh highs and the only real connection to her role as the nymph of the forest/jungle area of the game is the colours, and maybe the odd stitch work pattern

Which is a bit of shame as you can easily replace the blue stars of her old design with an actual star-ish looking flower called Bletilla (literally one letter off from her actual name) or other flora

I don’t think the issue was they wanted to give Betilla a redesign that had sex appeal , I just think they went in the wrong direction with it. Considering that she played a large role in the old educational games and she was a sort of mentor figure to Rayman (if not just straight up his mother depending on one’s headcanons), they could’ve given Betilla a personality and sex appeal by making her a hot teacher type character (who may or may not count as a milf), hell give her signs of age like small wrinkles to really get the point across she’s older than most of the player characters, and she’s aged like spicy fine wine

Her design in the first game is adorable while giving her the vibes of a mature fairy god mother type mentor, but I don’t think it would work in the more modern Rayman games without some updated tweaks. It is pretty though and does has more personality than her origins design, and the other nymphs for that matter

Holly: I like that there’s some actual details on her and some colour variation compared to her sisters, even if she’s 3 out of 6 nymphs whose main colour is some shade of blue

Besides giving her an outfit that isn’t a skirt and bra, I think her design could better reflect that her domain is the desert of dijiridoos by having some musical elements to her design. It’s kinda odd her tattoos/body paint (which do look good on her and her skin tone) don’t reference musical notes at least, wasted opportunity there

I have this issue with Edith and Annetta as well, but I’m a bit confused about why dead animals seems like a popular fashion choice for these ladies , especially since (in the origins game) none of the nymphs are shown as fighters (not saying they’re incapable, the game just doesn’t show them as such) and we’re not giving lore hints about it? I’ll talk more on this issue when I get to the other two , but it’s odd that Holly’s domain is populated by birds and she’s wearing a bird skull

Was it a nightmare and she kill it? Is it a beloved pet and she couldn’t part with them even after death? 🤷‍♀️

I can’t really think of any alternatives for her or the other two animal hat sisters atm, but at least it’s looks badass even if it doesn’t do much personality wise, so points for looking cool at least

Edith: Edith I think is the worst design of the sisters , hands down, no competition. I mean , what is there to really say about her? “Oh we have a level based around a combination of spicy food and ice drinks with dragon butlers , how should we design this chick?”

“Just put her in red with a lizard hat”

Almost nothing about her design reflects her domain besides that she’s blonde and wears red , and that’s only half of the domain she’s meant to be part off. Her outfit pattern could’ve at least have some reference to the ice levels, or give her literally anything to connect her to those ice levels

I also don’t like how her hair is styled, the colour is fine but the shape looks ugly

Incredibly morbid Edith walks around with a dead butler on her head, especially considering the final boss/king of her level is also a dragon. Unlike Holly and Annetta, I can’t even give Edith credit for looking cool because it’s just more red on a very red and bland design

…… do you think Edith uses her corpse hat as a hand puppet?

Annetta: While I think it’s a weird choice to have nymphs of nature walk around with corpse head gear (much less ones of their domain’s general population) I think Annetta is the most justified of the nymph sisters to be wearing a hat made of a dead animal

Considering that her domain has a notable fishing population and she’s already dressed in fish scales, Annetta wearing a fish skull does actually contribute to showing the lore of her as a character and her connection to her domain. Unlike Holly and Edith , I don’t need to come up with some theory about their fashion choices when Annetta’s reflects already existing lore in origins (what little of it at least)

I personally do think the outfit looks ugly and plain uncomfortable, but I will give this design some credit for having one of the more visually detailed designs by virtue of her scales alone, and it actually makes sense for the nymph whose domain is the literal ocean to be in a skimpy outfit, even if her shell bra has to be glued on to her boobs

Unlike Edith’s outfit colour which is just red, Annetta’s has various shades of blues and teals that are reminiscent of the sea. It’s pretty I like it

Helena: Much like Edith there’s not that much to say here but what I can say is mostly positive

Helena’s a pretty standard design of “blonde chick in cool blues with white fluff details” and yeah that’s generic usually, but here I really like her. I think it’s how the fur and cloth looks textured along how her hair front is styled that makes her incredibly cute to me

Yeah, Helena is a simple but cute character design

Weird that a mountain nymph who has to live through cold weather wears a skimpy outfit with her bare thighs out , but I’m gonna assume that’s because she , much like her sisters, was designed to be sexy first and given aesthetics after they made the body model

Fée de la Mort/VooDoo Mama/Big Mama: As cool as she looks, when compared to both her monster form and the other nymphs , you can tell she wasn’t planned to be one of them, especially when you look up Mamma Hite

I bring that up because while Fee has a good design, she is also a visual metaphor that reflects Origins’ identity: a failed series reboot whose plot was scrapped in favour of goofy extremism (or sex appeal in the nymphs case)

So about Fee’s actual design: I personally don’t like the pink used on her and would’ve liked her Nymph form to reflect the monster form besides the hair

probs to the fact she’s the only nymph with her own pose which already gives her a lot of personality , but the combination of her tattoos, bone jewellery and her baggy looking eyes really sells the fact she’s from the land of the livid dead and thus sticks out amongst the other fairies, even if you ignored the bat wings she has

visually she does work as a undead fairy of the underworld who likes to rock and roll, so job well done with that

I kinda do wish they stuck with the frog though

[lara60]

Hi! I wanted to ask if you could share some things about Daareios (I love viltrumite ocs and your art is so pretty!!!!). Like what happens to him at the end of invincible? what's his reaction to Thraggs manipulation AND death (and maybe some hcs?)

HELLO ANON THANK YOUUU FOR THIS ASK!!! 💜 So the thing about Daareios is that I initially made him as a joke/meme OC, as he was only supposed to be a guy that annoys Thragg by merely existing. But I got attached and turned him into a very tragic character instead. His story is not a happy one.

MAJOR INVINCIBLE COMIC SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

In the most canon compliant version of his story, his role would be that of Thragg’s loyal dog until the very end.

He’d side with Thragg after Nolan takes the throne, and he’d be exiled along with him. During the years in which Thragg builds his army on Thraxa, Daareios would do his best to fulfil his every whim, and he’d desperately wish that Thragg would eventually consider him someone important to him. He’d latch onto this foolish wish and wait patiently, looking for signs that the Grand Regent considers him something more than just a subordinate, deluding himself into thinking that he just needs to do a little more, be a little bit better, until Thragg finally gives him that honor.

But it never happens. Daareios would keep chasing that dream, and it would lead to his death.

During the big conflict between Thragg and Nolan’s Empire, Daareios would try his best to keep Mark busy, so Thragg can deal with the usurper. But he’d underestimate his foe and make a mistake, which would lead to Mark killing him.

Daareios wouldn’t die immediately – he’d still be conscious for a few moments, floating in space, trying his hardest to stay alive and help Thragg. In his last moments, he’d reach out to him .. and realize that Thragg doesn’t even spare him a glance.

And instead of finally realizing that his loyalty had been misplaced, he just thinks that he should have done better. That he wasn’t good enough for Thragg to care after all. He dies feeling like a disappointment. 💔💔💔

ITS SO CRUEL I KNOW … but fitting for his journey, he’s been doomed by the start … im sure that in some other timelines he had a happier ending 💜 Regarding some random lore bits that come to mind:

He’s kind of a clean freak, doesn’t like getting blood on his clothes and definitely not on his skin.

He’s secretly very intimidated by Thula and likes her and Conquest the least.

He’s usually very quiet unless a superior asks him to speak or he has to report something. He has a very strong case of ‘resting bitch face’, so nobody really approaches him otherwise.

His feelings towards Thragg are very complicated and can’t really be labeled. He sees him as a superior first of all, but there’s also an almost childish need to have his attention/praise/to make him proud, which is far from professional. Perhaps he also sees a pseudo-parental figure in him, but at the same time he’s also attracted to him. It’s a mess because Daareios (like any other Viltrumite) has no concept of love, but he also has trouble controlling his emotions, unlike most other Viltrumites who are so perfectly composed all the time. It makes it doubly difficult when his crippling self-doubt combines with his need for approval and attachment issues. He’s just … really not okay. 😢

ON A LIGHTER NOTE … in an AU where he makes better choices and ends up alive by the end of the story, AND joins the other Viltrumites on Earth, he’d be really into music. Specifically, he’d enjoy metal, and he’d wear appropriate fashion and grow out his hair. He’d also learn to play various instruments, guitar being the first. Maybe he’d even try to write songs of his own.

His favorite food on Earth would be anything sweet – not really chocolates, but fruits rather. Give him an apple pie or a peach cobbler and he’ll do anything for you.

He’d be fascinated by Earth nature/flora/fauna and travel a lot. He’d take hikes and spend a lot of time away from civilization. His favorite animals would be reptilians and snakes of any kind. I bet the first time he visited an animal sanctuary and had the opportunity to put a friendly python around his shoulders he had tears in his eye.

WOO CANT REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE RN .. thank you sm for asking about my little guy, he makes me very sad but I love him

[in-silks-and-flesh-and-leather]

[Starship Icarus] V

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4

Summary: space hysteria, fashion shows, tragic backstories, self-administered manual pleasure, and two idiots in love. It’s a shitshow and you’re cordially invited <3

WC: ~7.8k

*

She was true to her word. When she said she didn’t want to think about this mess they were in, she stopped picking at the wound. Whether it ever closed up and when it might begin to heal was impossible to know, but to look at her, at either of them, you would not think these were two hopelessly doomed people waiting out the spilling stardust as it cruelly poured out of their overturned hourglass.

They had developed routines, learned each other’s rhythms. She liked hot early morning showers and she timed them with his morning cigarette. They had breakfast together as her hair dried and dripped on the table between them, sneaking forks and fingers across to the other one’s plate and grinning as the popped their loot into their mouths.

Mills preferred weigh training while she did yoga. Mercifully, and frustratingly, she tended to do this in the nature room, surrounded by flora transplanted from Earth, under a small man-made waterfall, while he sweated and grunted under a crushingly heavy bar, trying and failing not to imagine her body in all sorts of provocative poses.

They both appreciated alone time and spent it in various ways – reading, tinkering, decompressing.  At night, they either took turns messing with Clyde, making a competition out of getting him to glitch or bug out. Or they retired to one of their cabins and tentatively reached out in the dark, trying to divine and understand the other through a series of innocuous activities.

*

Mills was a livewire. Two years without true human contact left him horrifically sensitized to every little thing she did – from the flutter of her eyes, to the sound of her small gasps, or the inherently attractive, feminine way she went about performing the smallest tasks. Not to mention touch.

Every casual, accidental brush of her hand across any part of his body short circuited him. He caught himself more than once flinching away from her when he realized they walked in step and were about to walk through a door, narrow enough that they would have to squeeze together, or when he felt the presence and heat of her body, leaning over his shoulder as he sat and tinkered with some junk, eyes glued with fascination to his hands, deft and coated with slick, black oil.

To preserve some semblance of sanity, Mills tended to choose safe activities, ones that kept some measure of distance between them.

One evening after dinner, they played cards.

She sat on the plain white, nondescript coffee table in his small cabin. Hygge, she explained the style when he called it mass produced junk - the lazy, safe Nordic style people who were too afraid to make a real choice liked to use in decorating. Inoffensive to the point of barely existing. Anodyne enough to sedate the viewer, much like its denizens.

His smile grew wider to the point of bursting off his face as she rained disdain on the many ways in which people expressed cowardice in their daily lives and choices.

She sat on it demonstratively as she took the deck and shuffled, wiggling her ass across its face as if to insult the object. Mills bit down on the comment that he now found himself desiring some offense from her. Her legs folded under her as he sat on his prison cot of a bed, they played Crazy 8s for what felt like hours. When she won, she bounced up and down in place on her ass and threw her head back in laughter. Mills watched with amazement whenever she did something new, something he hadn’t seen before.

She was good about it when she caught him staring. All seven or eight times that night. He assumed she chalked it up to him being so isolated and starved for company for so long - and there was an element of that - but he knew it wouldn’t be long before she figured out he was looking at her not just because she was there, but because she was the only thing he wanted to see. That was under the generous and somewhat naïve presumption she didn’t know already.

*

As if to savor him and unravel him slowly, she did interviews with him piecemeal and sporadically. A few questions here, a debate here and there over his reluctance to completely throw Homestead under the bus, but Mills had a distinct feeling she wanted to go slowly and draw out their acquaintance and the discovery of him as a person over the many years ahead of them.

*

They talked about Homestead’s takeover of his old company and how he ended up joining Homestead II.

“Another in the string of terrible decisions,” he made a funny grimace and rubbed his eyes, to banish the memories brought on by looking back on that time.

“Oh?” she tried retain a professional mien and avoid laughing as the recordings she was making may one day be part of a searing indictment of Homestead’s shady practices.

“Yup. I should have known by then not to try my luck, awful as it’s always been.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Oh, yes. If I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.”

She cracked then and shook her head. Mills watched the recoding spike high and erratic as it picked up her silvery laughter.

“I think Clyde would beg to differ—”

“He routinely does,” Mills interrupted and rolled his eyes. She rested her chin in her hand and just watched him and listened, caring less and less about keeping the interview formal.

“So terrible luck aside, what made you do it?”

Mills skipped over a few key details he was not yet willing to divulge and offered some well-documented tidbits about Homestead’s meteoric rise to become a space exploration giant.

“Originally, I was slated to be part of the crew. When that went to shit,” he paused and made a circling motion with his fingers, indicating a roll of film rewinding. “Let me give you a cleaner version of that. When that went awry,” he said with a serious affectation and she bit on her lips to keep her smile in, “I could either be some flyboy, jetting tourists from one place to another, or settle for being a glorified mechanic on board the Icarus.” He didn’t need to say how much the irony of not having crew access on the Icarus was plaguing him, since under different circumstances, he easily could have been the captain on board.

“Do you think you can fix any of this?” she asked right as he was pondering the same thing. It was skirting dangerously close to opening that wound he hoped would scab over.

“I could fix your garbage disposal or the old dodge sitting in your uncle’s yard for a solid few decades, but this ship…” he shrugged. “I got nothing but time to keep trying,” he infused his tone with reassurance. “I’ll try for you,” he added and felt his pulse start to gallop, expecting her reaction.

She smiled fondly and did nothing to accept or rebuff that thing he wasn’t quite saying yet.

It was early to belabor the point. Mills had spent months looking at her, listening to her words over and over, like his life depended on it. He was convinced that, at several points, it did. He was ready to go down on one knee as soon as she climbed out of her pod and she still had everything to learn about him.

*

Julian took to showing you the things he discovered about the ship in his wanderings. He was particularly amusing as a curator and guide to the most interesting and unusual cabins on board. You passed the time roasting people’s décor and choice of environment, until you realized there was a whole unexplored cache of fodder to make fun of – their wardrobes.

As Julian perused the trinkets lined along the shelves of a particularly gaudy cabin, you slipped into the wardrobe and snooped around. By that time, you had shed any sort of guilt about invading people’s privacy. You’d never live to meet them anyway.

The unhelpful thought was hastily shoved aside and you refused to allow your mood to dampen. Rather, you picked up and examined some outrageous pieces that hung before you, to make sure you weren’t imagining them.

What use might this person have for... a mink coat? Thigh-high boots that looked shellacked? A wide-brimmed floppy hat in a hideous shade of purple?

“Ever raided any of these closets?” you called out and popped your head to look at Julian, finding his broad back facing you.

He turned slowly, with impeccable comedic timing, and quirked a brow. “What are you suggesting?”

“Fashion show. Fall/Winter 2100, or whatever year it currently is.”

He pondered, giving you an exaggerated pensive expression. “We oughtta keep up with the times,” he conceded with a comical shrug.

“Especially the middle–aged amongst us.”

Julian let out a wounded sound and clutched over his heart at the comment.

“Ticky ticker?” you questioned the gesture, wrestling to keep a shit-eating grin off your face.

“No, I think it‘s a knife in my back, trying to poke out through my chest,” he responded haughtily and turned his face away from you.

You giggled and assumed your fashionista persona again. “Describe your personal style to me.”

“Sophisticated,” Julian narrowed his eyes and hollowed out his cheeks like an arrogant model.

“No.”

“Elevated,” he went on, heedless of your words.

“Stop,” you rolled your eyes.

“Full of panache and finesse,” he over-enunciated the words and struck a pose to illustrate his point.

“Yeah, not at all,” you muttered to yourself and faced the closet again.

“Casual/athletic,” he started, finally sounding serious.

“Okay, there we go.”

“Hold on,” he held up a finger to shush you, “athletic, but with a business-chic slant that’s very postmodern and avant-garde,” he tossed the word salad around with gusto.

“Yeah?” you crossed your arms and listened, wondering when he’ll tire of being a smartass. Smart money said it would be a while.

“Yeah, I can rock my ‘fits at the gym and at the Oval Office.”

“The Oval Office? You’re the president now?”

“I’m the de facto president of this ship, miss ma’am. And you better start showing me some respect.”

“Is that so?”

Julian took a step closer, crowding you against the closet and stopping just short of pushing his chest all the way into you. You felt your expression grow stupid, gaping like a fish as your knees informed you they were about to buckle and it was every man for himself. Julian drank in your reaction for a long, tense moment before releasing a valve and breaking into a grin.

“You?” he asked, checking you out from head to toe, ostensibly taking in your outfit.

“Cheap nasty low down trailer park burger slut.”

“That checks out,” he agreed a bit too eagerly and you smacked his shoulder.

“Oh, my god, I would kill for a burger,” you whined and felt your mouth salivate.

“Same,” Julian groaned in agreement and took a step back, relinquishing your personal space back to you.

You cleared your throat and gave silent thanks that female bodies showed arousal less conspicuously than male ones as you registered how much Julian’s proximity affected you. “Before my tummy starts singing us a mournful burger tune, why don’t you put together some - what did you call them, ‘fits? - and let’s meet up at the Grand Concourse in an hour. For the unveiling of the collection.”

“Be there or be square,” he pointed a finger gun at you and disappeared to find the best and worst things he could, vaguely, fit into.

*

Clyde pumped music into the cavernous halls of the Grand Concourse. It was a bass-heavy, bombastic tune with vaguely sexual moans and an indecipherable chorus – the sort that often accompanied edgy fashion shows where models walked around on horse hoof shoes, wearing trash bags and steampunk helmets.  You sat cross-legged in a chair at the end of the improvised runway and waited on pins and needles.

Finally, Julian emerged and strutted down the corridor in long strides. His face was impassive and his gaze stared off contemptuously into some middle distance. Had you not known better, you might have assumed he had done this kind of modeling before.

His outfit consisted of camo pants and, horrifically, a camo shirt. Both in slightly different hues, with swirling patterns and splotches that looked awfully mismatched stacked one on top of the other. He tied it all together with combat boots, which you recognized as his own pair.

“I give you,” he announced, coming to a stop and spinning to offer you a cheeky look at the back, “the army surplus store outfit.”

You were valiantly holding in both laughter and disgust, but your eyes betrayed you, watering as you did your best to keep your quivering lips from splitting into a grin.

“I can only presume the owner of this delectable outfit intended the two pieces of couture to be worn together.”

“Naturally,” you nodded with an air of wisdom.

“Only thing is,” he cringed and bit his lip, “it’s a little off on the sizing,” he admitted and twisted around to show off what he meant. “Could be smaller,” he said and flexed his powerful thighs, the ripples going up until they reached the flat plains of his ass. The tight pants barely rode up over his hips and exposed a delicious iliac crest, the V of sculpted flesh that disappeared into the unintendedly low-rise pants, so tight and small that a coin slot threatened to peek out in the back.

“Stop,” you put up a scandalized hand in the air to cover the sight.

“Oh, we’re just getting started. This was a little amuse-bouche to whet your appetite,” he dashed back towards the large fountain that decorated the Grand Concourse, shooting up a perpetual sheet of water that he used as a blurry changing screen. You heard the rustling of clothing as he changed and spied his tall frame, broad and pallid in his nakedness as he shamelessly stripped and redressed. If he meant to titillate you, that was such a cheap, juvenile way to do it. And it was working exactly to plan.

*

When he emerged next, Julian was in a black tank top and leather jacket, with a douchey bedazzled pair of sunglasses and a thick, iced out chain around his neck that supported a dinner plate-sized pendant. He walked in deliberate slow motion, taking off his glasses in a mock-seductive way and shook out his long hair like in a shampoo commercial.

“Let me guess – this outfit says all the world’s preeminent douchebags gathered together for a Mortal Kombat-style tournament, and you emerged victorious?”

“Where do you think I got the medal?” he tapped the large adornment that hung on the chain, right on his breastbone and winked with an accompanying mouth click.

Deliberately, taking his time, he shucked off the jacket, flexing every bit of his hulking, rippling anatomy, from the broad expanse of his chest that made the gaudy medallion twitch, to his bulging biceps and lean, defined triceps. The jacket slid down his long, sinewy forearms and he caught it in one hand, giving it an elegant spin and tossed it at you like a stripper.

You made no attempt to catch it and it fell over your head and shoulders like a blanket over a cage. “Ju-li-an-uh!” you scolded, tacking an extra, whiny syllable to the end of his name and you could feel him grin, as he always did when you said his name like that.

By the time you peeled the discarded garment off, he was halfway up his runway again, walking away in the same slow motion as he came in. He did the famous model midway turn, sending a suitably douchey air kiss flying towards you before running a hand through his lustrous hair, and completing the turn.

*

If his last ridiculous outfit inadvertently made you hot and bothered, the PTA dad getup he came out in next took care of that awkward predicament. In khakis, a pastel polo and, mother of god, her majesty the fanny pack hugging around his hips, he was the picture of a frumpy suburban dad who had simply given up. With his hair parted hideously down the middle and tucked behind his prominent ears, you could scarcely believe it was the same person as the smokeshow from a few minutes ago.

“Hm,” you frowned and inspected him as he gave you a view from every angle.

“What?” he planted his hands on his hips and tapped one mock-irritated foot on the ground.

“Nothing, it’s just… The juxtaposition of your boulder thighs bunching up the fabric in the legs, but then it’s all loose in the caboose.”

“Yeah, I never boasted much of an ass,” he conceded without any fight.

“I like it,” you assured. “It’s mysterious.”

Julian knew a trap when he saw one, but he was too tickled not to step into it. “Mysterious?” he echoed and let you drive your blow home.

“Yeah, like - where did it go? What is it doing right now? Did it find some other backside to form a symbiotic relationship with?”

He shook his head confidently. “I think it actually burned up during launch, and it’s highly insensitive of you to bring up.” You engaged in a staredown with him, trying to keep a straight face, but laughter bubbled up inside you and you doubled over with it.

“Anyway, you keep distracting me, we’re gonna be late for the parent-teacher conference,” he chided.

“We?” you managed to choke out, stomach cramping with too much laughter.

“Yes, we,” he pointed to one of the roombas milling around. “Typical of you to forget all about little Buzz.”

“I’m sorry, Buzz,” you said contritely.

“And I will not have it,” he straightened to his full height and adjusted the fanny pack snootily. “Come on, son, let’s go,” he ordered the roomba and the little critter zoomed after him.

*

Over time, the recording sessions became a document of you falling in love, slowly and gently, like flecks of stardust suspended in zero gravity. Most days, you were fairly sure Julian was feeling the same. He drank you in with his eyes whenever you were together, especially when he thought you didn’t realize. And you worked hard not to realize, to give him those small pleasures. The fact remained, though, that you were in an unprecedented situation – brought together by total accident and effectively doomed to each other. One couldn’t help but wonder how much of your attraction and blossoming friendship was a coping mechanism. No one could blame you for it, really, one way or the other.

Still, you had a cache of nagging, burning questions and you kept chomping at the bit to fire off a few. Most urgently, the fiancée he once hinted at briefly. Was she in one of the pods, slumbering peacefully and dreaming of reuniting with him many years and many more miles on? Or was she back on Earth, unable to give it all up for him, by now wrinkled and gray, looking up at the sky where his trail had long evaporated?

“You, uh,” you tried for a casual tone, but couldn’t meet his eyes, “mentioned, I think, a fiancée or something. Once. Before.” Well, that was the least casual thing you’d ever said. Talking about the sacrifice of leaving Earth behind to go on an exploratory mission seemed like the best segue you were going to get, so you had to go for it.

Julian was quiet. He nodded once, patient and knowing. Perhaps he wanted you to squirm a little – after all, men tend to get fewer opportunities to enjoy this kind of attention and pursuit. Or he had real trouble talking about her.

“Did she…come with you?” your voice was perceptibly shrunken, growing more timid and unsure with every word. When he understood just how much it was costing you to broach the topic, he was quick to respond.

“No. No,” he shook his head to punctuate and put you out of your misery. Then he took in a deeper breath and started. “We were together…for years,” he frowned like he was recalling a hazy memory from a life lived long ago. “And I fell profoundly out of love with her over time.”

You hoped you kept your face trained from glowing with triumph as you nodded sympathetically.

“Then she got sick. Very…seriously so.” He was being extremely tactful and you knew he had to be reading you like a book. You wouldn’t want to gloat over someone’s misfortune like that even if you were undeniably pleased that Julian was not taken. “The treatment she required was so arduous,” he shook his head, exhausted all over again just from remembering. You wanted to slap yourself for even asking. No wonder he had been so taciturn about it in the past. “And it was insanely expensive. I, uh… felt so guilty over the fact I was about to end things before it all happened, and…over the fact I resented her so much for getting sick in the first place and trapping me somewhere I didn’t want to be,” he hung his head and closed his eyes as he spoke. You were amazed he was man enough to admit something like that to you. “So I eventually accepted I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I left her alone to deal with it, and changed my focus. It was around the time the company was getting taken over. I was so absorbed in hospital appointments and bills and so out of it from lack of sleep, I missed all the warning signs at work that it was all going to hell. To cut a long, grueling story short - in the end, I lost her and every chance to do what I had dreamed of my whole life in one fell swoop. At least that’s how it felt at the time,” he gave a weary shrug and attempted a smile. It only made his cheek twitch and then it dissolved.

He could have paused for an entire year, you still wouldn’t have found any words to say.

“Told you I had the worst luck. Even spreads to those around me,” he rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking tired and decades older.

“I’m so sorry, Julian,” you finally breathed some feeble words out.

“It was a while ago,” he assured, “we all knew it was coming.”

Mortification made seconds feel like centuries. There was nothing to say, but you still felt like you ought to comfort him somehow. With your jaw set in determination, you decided to make an overture. Hand sliding over the table between you, you reached out for him and he turned his hand over, palm up to receive your touch. You touched the tips of his fingers gently with yours, and moved over his palm, smooth and tough all at once, like the choicest leather. Your fingers traced the ridges of his palm and you rested your hand in his, enjoying the warmth you shared in that quiet, intimate moment. Then you slid further up, snaking your fingers to his wrist, feeling his pulse point throb under your skin and gripped his wrist like you were locking your hands together to pull the other one up over a ledge. He wrapped his large, thick hand around your wrist, eclipsing it, and squeezed.

Gradually, the mood changed and you felt the ghosts of his past dissipate around you. He became his usual devilish self again and you felt his grip around your wrist slacken, but grow more tender as he stroked his thumb over the thin, sensitive skin of your forearm.

“What about you?” he asked quietly and the low volume masked some of the tremulous quality of his voice.

It was easy to answer. “I’ve never had anyone I was considering spending the rest of my life with,” you shrugged. “It was always too abstract of an idea for me, too daunting to make one choice with no take-backsies, so I never really seriously considered it.”

Julian rested his face in his hand and looked at you with a mix of adoration and puzzlement, the way people stare in awe and disbelief at stunning works of art in museums. Unfortunately, you were both too clever to woo peaceably, as the Bard once wrote. Nothing that was left unsaid escaped either of your attention and you could read it clearly in the other’s eyes.

“Until now,” you put the unspoken into words. Leave too much of this tension crackling in the air and you could lose your mind from it. Better to acknowledge the obvious since no escape from it was possible anyway. “Now it’s you, whether you like it or not,” you kicked the ball into his court and forced him to respond.

“I think I like it way too much,” he drawled lazily out and stilled his caressing fingers, making you even more starkly aware of your skin touching.

*

Mills retired early after dinner. She had apologized again for bringing up his onetime fiancée, still worried she had upset him and that was the reason he was seeking some solitude. He reassured her it was fine and he just needed some shuteye. Not a lie in itself – Mills hadn’t been sleeping too well the last couple of weeks. But it had more to do with the things that were tormenting him currently rather than the things he left in the past.

He tossed and turned for hours nearly every night, replaying the events of the day that included her, analyzing conversations and chastising himself for not being quippier or more gallant or clever. If he wasn’t working himself up into an owlishly-awake, anxious frenzy, then he drifted off into fitful bursts of sleep, in which she either murdered him in inventive ways as revenge for what he had done, or he had her under him for a few blissful, fulfilling moments until he jerked awake to find himself bucking and grinding against his mattress.

He smoothed his hands down his long face and sighed, feeling his skin burn and chafe, too small for the desire it was straining to hold in. Siding his hands and roving down his body, he found the waistband of his pajamas and he groped inside, exhausted in advance by the repetitive actions he was forced to take daily and nightly.

Mills hissed lowly as he gripped himself at the base, feeling an insistent knot buried just under the spot where he palmed himself, coiling and tugging, making him grow impossibly harder.

He was punishingly erect, stiff as a board even though he was a cool 40. When he was younger, his older friends had started relying on various pharmaceutical aides to satisfy the jailbait little kittens who had a thing for gnarled pilots even before they hit that milestone. And here he was, tucking throbbing erections into the waistband of his underwear and hoping they were inconspicuous and taking cold showers to achieve the opposite effect. Technically, he was over 70, he rolled his eyes as he remembered, stroking one languid pump all the way up and down, making his thighs shudder in anticipation - so it was even more impressive.

The skin of his straining shaft was silky soft, ridged with veins, and an unforgivable, stubborn hardness inside stretched him to a painful length and thickness, demanding release. With a stifled moan, he licked his full lips and shut his eyes tighter, letting images wash over him.

He always started slowly, perusing his own fantasies like a smorgasbord, clicking his tongs in anticipation, picking out favorite reels and dropping them on his plate.

That she walks into his cabin, quiet and as needy as him, stopping in his doorway as the door slides shut behind her with a muted shuffle across the floor. Her hips sway as she bunches up a satin nightgown into her hands, pulling it higher and higher over her thighs as she approaches him. Without preamble or their usual politeness, she straddles him possessively and grabs two demanding fistfuls of his hair at the base of his skull. He feels the heat of her when she sits on him and she clamps her open mouth over his, hot and sweet, and breathes hard into their hungry kiss.

His hands slip up her body – she’s not going anywhere once he has her – and he brushes her thighs as they hug around him only to wrap his powerful arms around her waist and crush her closer. Her eyes go wide with alarm when she feels how strong he can so effortlessly be, and then she melts into him, kissing him even more fervently when she feels how much he wants her.

She slips her underwear to the side, and they’re both clumsy with eagerness as they line themselves up, panting and moaning even before he’s inside. When she sinks down on him, it’s gradual, but she has no intention of taking it slowly. His heart stops for a moment like it does when he jumps into freezing water. Then he can breathe again and he shudders in his whole body as he feels her rhythm rocking through him as she rides him.

He grips her hips and tosses his head back, feeling the fullness of her body between his hands. She bites on the long curved column of his neck as she undulates up and down, slicking him up and clenching wildly. As her orgasm builds, she grips his back for support, and her soft tits rest against his chest. All he can feel in the world is her, soft and hot and delicious, and none of the tragedies that weave around and through them matter in that moment.

He pumps himself, hard and ruthless, arm cramping with the effort, as he imagines her come undone for him. It’s over too fast because he wants it too much and he falls back onto his bed in a boneless, heaving heap.

Mills’ ear rang like a shot was fired right by his head. He was exhausted, on the cusp of giving himself carpal tunnel, but he was pretty sure he would be able to sleep tonight and function for at least a few hours before the red fog came over him again.

*

He was right. He did manage to fall asleep. He knew he did, and that it was a deep bout of restful sleep because the goddamn fucking groans of metal, sounding like ancient monsters from the pits of hell, made him start awake.

Mills groaned and kicked the blanket off his body, begrudgingly awake. Through his irritation, though, he recognized the noise he was hearing heralded no good news.

He padded barefoot down the vacant corridors, snapping his head in odd directions when he heard particularly ominous creaks. The moans of bending, vibrating metal echoed from the deep bowels and far flung wings of the ship, reverberating and crying mournfully by the time they reached Icarus’ heart. Cutting through the wailing symphony were sharp whipcracks and the pounding of thick sheets of metal comprising Icarus’ exoskeleton, beating like a metallic heart and sending shockwaves through the entire ship.

“Establishing new shield alignment to celestial body Amun-2257B,” a holo device announced, eerily calm in the cacophony of screeching metal and infernal groans. Mills felt the ground vibrate under him, nearly making him lose his footing as the floor jumped back and forth under his feet. He half-expected for the whole ship to snap in two like the Titanic, with sheets of metal shrieking as they peeled and flew off into the freezing, silent void of the cosmos.

The holo repeated its message and Mills regained his balance. If they bothered to give it a semblance of a name, it was a major body. Judging by the allusion to the sun god, this was a star they were passing, likely far more massive and powerful than their own tiny Sun. And Icarus seemed to have strayed right into the radius of its heat and radiation with poorly adjusted protective shields. Mills felt a chill as he considered what damage the ship could sustain from mere seconds of exposure, let alone minutes or hours. It was worrying that the correct parameters were not set well in advance given how carefully their route was planned. Before he had time to consider more in depth how such a catastrophic oversight could have happened, Mills heard his name.

*

“Julian,” she whimpered in the drowning sounds of the maelstrom exploding around them.

He wished she would call out louder so he could run in the direction of her voice, but as he bellowed out her name, powerful and reassuring, he spied her emerging from the corridor that led towards her cabin.

Another rumble shook the ship and it sent her staggering backwards. She fell back against the wall and let herself slide down it, relieved now that she had seen him, striding purposely, furiously towards her. As he approached, she extended her arms towards him in a childlike gesture, and he grabbed her roughly, pulling her up and into his embrace. She was shaking like a leaf as he held her. The spaghetti strap top she slept in left much of her skin exposed, and he felt it smooth and warm under his hands, where he held her close, and on his cheek, where he rested it on her shoulder, breathing in the feminine scent of her skin and hair.

Gradually, the rumbles and moans abated, and the ship seemed to twist and snap itself into the proper configuration, leaving a few echoes reverberating in odd intervals and a few residual aftershocks shuddering softly under their feet. Mills peeled the protective layer of his body away from hers, revealing her eyes to be trained on him, wide and teary, asking for some explanation.

“A little rattling and groaning is to be expected now and again,” he croaked in a voice still gravelly from sleep. “The temperatures here, the environment, the pressure  - it’s so unlike Earth. This was just metal contracting and expanding. Taking a few breaths,” he winked reassuringly. But this is a lot, he knew. He just hoped she didn’t. No need for both of them to get stress ulcers.

*

You were still counting your breaths and trying to accept the fact that the hideous, Lovecraftian roars of galactic demons that ripped you out of sleep and practically shook you of bed could be explained with a simple reaction to heat and cold and pressure. Rationally, you accepted it to be true, but your heart still raced like a frightened rabbit’s inside your chest.

“Everything will be alright,” Julian promised in a low, gentle voice. “Breathe,” he commanded softly, splaying a hand on your chest, “breathe right into this spot.”

From your breastbone to your throat, you felt his massive paw of a hand that stretched hot and tender across your heart and warmed a soothing spot into which to focus your breaths. It started to work almost instantaneously, allowing your chest to grow less constricted, admitting more air and deeper breaths. You closed both your hands over his when you felt steady and thanked him for calming you.

“You’re not gonna fall asleep easily after this?” he asked with a jocular sort of tone

“Not fucking likely,” you suddenly remembered yourself and crossed your arms self-consciously over your chest, hidden behind only a thin tank top.

“Would you let me show you something?” Julian extended a hand and waited unobtrusively for you to decide whether you wanted to take it.

*

“Welcome to the observation deck,” the holo greeted as you entered a large room that resembled an empty gallery. A long viewing pane ran alongside its edge and there were rails to hold onto close to the glass, as well as seats a bit further in back.

The room was bathed in a muted orange light as screens and multiple filters protected the inhabitants of the observation deck from the intense glare of the star the Icarus was passing. You felt a crackling energy inside the room that made all the small hairs on your body stand.

Julian kept one hand on the small of your back, sensing your unease, and pressed a spot in the wall. A compartment opened dutifully and he pulled out two sets of protective goggles. They resembled shooting glasses in design and were made to protect the eyes of the wearer from various types of radiation and damage that could be caused if they chose to view some of the bodies and phenomena along the way.

“Amun-2257B is in view and will remain visible for three minutes and fourteen seconds,” the holo announced. “Safe aperture is 1% to 7%. Please be advised that setting the aperture higher and allowing more brightness into the viewing room will result in irreversible damage to you retinas.”

Julian offered a set of goggles to you questioningly, having already donned his. You took yours with a dose of trepidation.

“Icarus, set aperture to 4%,” he commanded and slid his hand to your waist, giving your side a supportive squeeze.

As the screen before you came to life and started to admit light from the outside, you checked your goggles were securely on your face and felt Julian gently nudge you towards the railing. You frowned, thinking that it was an unnecessary feature for a room designed purely for people to essentially gaze out of a window.

“1%,” the holo informed.

With a loose grip, you placed your hands on the railing and Julian came up behind you, securing his chest behind yours and grabbing the railing firmly with his massive hands.

More light came pouring in and you squinted, as the color changed from orange to a yellow, then golden, seeming to grow hotter by the instant and approach a white hue.

“2%,” you heard the holo again, but it sounded more distant somehow.

More light poured in, and more, until it seemed impossible for the room to get any brighter. The intensity of it seemed to blow you back and you found yourself pushing into Julian’s broad, immovable chest. The punishing, devouring light seemed to go through you, stabbing pathways between the atoms in your body to rush through, disintegrating you in the process.

“3%,” the voice said after what seemed like an eternity, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. You felt your hands ache from how hard you were gripping the railing now and you tried to scream, but no sound appeared to come out.

Watering, and seemingly burning up, your eyes adjusted the smallest bit and you spied the outline of the infernal star in front of you. Gaseous explosions danced in a foggy miasma around it, giving it the appearance of a watery haze, like air trembling above a hot flame.  Black mushroom clouds bloomed and died on its face, and fiery whips cracked in its halo as the star mercilessly burned in its seemingly eternal flame.

“4%,” at last you heard the words you had come to dread, expecting that you would scatter like so much dust once the full aperture hit. Instead, the light made you feel incorporeal. As if the flames split your body open and let your soul out, you felt a euphoric freedom, an intoxicating oneness with the unknowable universe around you. Without blinking, you held the star in your eyes and felt something that didn’t have a name vibrate in a place inside you that was too vast to conceptualize.

It felt like a lifetime later, but you gradually returned to your body, feeling not yourself first, but Julian’s warmth where you rested against him. His arms closed around you and you saw the viewing window disappear from you and the room spin. You realized he was carrying you to one of the seats. You were already sitting down and he was holding you by the wrists to keep you from tipping backwards before bodily sensation started to return and you registered the hardness of the chair under you and his skin touching yours.

Then you felt your eyes stinging and the familiar feeling of salt crusted on your cheeks, drying out the skin underneath. Your mouth was stretched in a delirious smile and you realized you were feeling just about every emotion heretofore known to you, and a plethora of new ones.

As light drained from the room, you felt the contrast of darkness to the light. While light slashed through you and tore apart, one spec at a time, darkness held you softly, like a black cloud, shrouding you safely in its gentle cloak and it soothed.

*

She shook again, more aggressively than before, but this time, Mills wasn’t too concerned about it. The first time he saw a star, it was much farther away than this one and he came to sprawled on his back, feeling as deranged as he imagined Moses must have after having a fun little chat with a burning bush.

He held her hands gently, patient as if with a child. Her eyes were wild with that same indescribable revelation that he had felt before and he relished seeing her luminous body absorb it.

She suddenly focused her eyes on his, half-lidded with a desire to do anything but sleep.

A tingle at the base of his spine warned he was about to break out into a sweat. His cock again twitched to life and it brought irritation more than anything; if he kept it up, he would flay the skin right off of it.

Ju-li-an-uh, he heard her inner monologue, just fucking kiss me already. There may be many ways to interpret a lot of different things in life, but not that. She was fixing him with a stare like a ravenous lioness does to a hobbling zebra.

He feigned obliviousness and tested to see if she was stable enough to sit up on her own, Mills would never accuse himself of being overly gentlemanly. In any other circumstance, he would not let the fact that they had been through a distressing situation stop him from stealing a kiss. In fact, the vigorous, affirming sessions of fucking that occasionally followed such events were among some of his favorite experiences. Nor would he shy away from pouncing on her when she was touched by some gesture of his or an experience, like seeing a star up close. Penguins didn’t go combing miles of beach for the perfect pebble just to then turn around and let the female consider if she liked him for his personality or for the shiny, smooth pebble he waddled over to her.

What made him turn away was the guilty knowledge that some day, probably a very distant one, she would know the terrible truth. And he knew a mind as incisive as hers would go through every key moment and event of their lives together, and examine with a newfound harshness how he chose to behave while she was in the dark. He decided, long ago, that he would give her no further reasons to hate him for any transgression, no matter how small. So he tore himself away, stood and offered to get her a glass of water.

She visibly deflated when he pulled away, though she still appeared to feel as electrified as before.

He returned promptly, walking there and back with a brisk pace, and offered her a tall glass of water from the bar. She didn’t look up to his eyes, or even his face as she took it, and slowly drained half of it. Mills narrowed his eyes as he sensed her pull away, and he was quite sure she was feeling embarrassed.

She got up and walked around him in a purposely long arch, staying out of the intimate zone where they could extend their arms and touch,

You fucking idiot, he cursed at himself. She was an irresistible blend of proud and sensitive, and his apparent hesitation or lack of interest sent her retreating from him in a furious hurry. There was no convenient way to explain himself without explaining everything, and his teeth gnashed in frustration.

“You should finish that,” he tossed casually over his shoulder before she could leave. “These viewings leave you really dehydrated. I’ll take the glass back with me,” he turned and extended a hand expectantly.

She only briefly glanced up at him and started to approach with affected reluctance. Mills waited until she had drunk enough to tip the bottom of the glass up. “And I’d like to take you out on a real date tomorrow night,” he added matter-of-factly.

He heard the gurgle of water as it stuck in her throat and she coughed, lurching forward, sending water splashing back into the glass, mostly, save for what came out of her nose.

Mills took the one and then one more step left between them to close the distance and took the glass out of her hand, landing a few vigorous pats on her back, just on the other side of gentle. “Is that a yes, then?” he asked through his grin and she glared, still clearing her throat and catching her breath. An elbow he narrowly missed sinking into his side told him all he needed to know.

She gave a melodious girlish giggle and attempted another playful smack, this time with her small fist on his shoulder. He let her land that one, but then caught her by the arm and held her tightly to him, just fast enough that she couldn’t squirm away and close enough to let her feel some of his large body, taut with desire for her, impose on her. Better to give her a small preview of what to expect the following evening than to take her completely by surprise the first time he towers over her, looming and starving for her. “Now straight to bed with you,” he commanded in a flat, husky voice, “we have a long day and a long night ahead of us.” Mills’ face remained inscrutable while his hand came whizzing in an arch to land a smack on her ass, right on the spot he was eyeing all day.

*

@thegrislady @safarigirlsp​  @queeniebee​ @lumberjack00fantasies​ @vedavan​ @house-of-cadwyn​

[damsels-n-dice]

'til it kills us: the creeping vine

a while ago, i made a post explaining the design process for the bogeyman, the first of the nine playbooks in my game. the playbooks in 'til it kills us are my favourite part, so i wanted to talk more about each of them as i work on playtesting :) some stuff has changed since that last post, so you might notice a few changes to the playbook format compared to last time, but the general post will be the same!

under the cut (for length), i'll go over every part of the creeping vine playbook -- a class of plant mages whose self-doubt grows like ivy inside them -- and what makes it special compared to the rest.

the name

this playbook is actually unique, in that its the only one where i'm not happy with the name i've chosen for it! calling it the creeping vine was meant to evoke both the plant powers it wields, and the way that self-doubt can creep into every decision you make. i compare it in the playbook description to the way ivy can damage a building as it grows, but it's also intended to reference vines that steal nutrients and resources from the plants on which they grow. i'm not happy with how i've achieved that intention, but that's for future revision!

the abilities

the equivalent of another game's statistics, some abilities are unique to a playbook, while others are shared between them. they're not quite as standardized as other games, and players have the opportunity to create their own in various ways. the constant, however, is that every playbook has two kinds of magic: their core defining magic, in this case flora, and a secondary type that the player gets to choose.

now all that explanation is out of the way, though, lets talk about the creeping vine's abilities. their most powerful abilities are control and either leadership or fear -- representations of the ways they try to hide their "failings" by pushing away others and taking charge. control of the situation (and battlefield control using their vines) lets them steer others away from their weakness, while leadership and fear are two different approaches for maintaining that social control.

after that, we have air and lightning, the two secondary magic choices. these are the magic types fueled by anxiety and paranoia, respectively, which are both emotions that sometimes blur with self-doubt. we round things out with spying, to gather information without having to share your own in return, and repair or destruction as responses to the loss of control. do they respond by taking it in stride and trying to fix things, or do they lash out in fear? that's up for the player to decide.

the power

the creeping vine's power is called chokehold, which allows them to grab an object or creature and hang it, immobile, in the air. creatures grabbed are held by the throat, but never strangled -- just as the self-doubt is ever present for these characters, a constant weight on their mind and their choices. you could even say it has a chokehold on them.

the presentations

unique to each playbook, the presentations are how you show yourself to the world. they can be anything from personality to style to a particular category of interest. for the creeping vine, they are also a source of confidence. a carefully maintained image, in whatever form that takes, is what they use as "proof" they're put together themselves.

in the sexy and you know it and social butterfly options, you can see the way a creeping vine might choose to make their life look "perfect". these are the kind of people you can't believe have ever struggled with their confidence, even as their magic is the most powerful of all. they pride themselves on being someone that other people want to be.

by contrast, a creeping vine might choose the more relaxed and humble options of the specialist or the manager. while they're not flashy or enviable in the same way, they project that same aura of confidence and bravery in a different fashion -- these presentations appear very, very good at what they do. what it is they do, and whether they're actually as good as they appear, depends on the character! my favourite detail about these, though, is the fact that the manager is encouraged to use colour-coded spreadsheets. a detail that definitely wasn't stolen from any real life influences...

the motivations

these are similar to presentations, in that every playbook comes with four options, but they are drawn from a shared pool instead of unique to that playbook. they are also, of course, what motivates a character. and for the creeping vine, that means proving yourself. sometimes to other people, and sometimes to yourself. i wanted this character's journey to be about overcoming self-doubt, and often the way that begins is through tangible achievements or outside encouragement.

one is different from the rest, though, as they might decide to look for a safety blanket instead. this is meant to be for those who've completely given up on themselves. instead of trying to prove they can do things right, they just want a way to protect themselves when they mess up.

the touchstone

as the npc companion to the creeping vine, the touchstone is even more customizable than most traits. it's also the most closely tied to the core emotion of the playbook: self-doubt. for this playbook, your touchstone is the npc who makes the decisions you don't trust yourself to make. your journey with them is about learning to become less reliant on external guidance -- particularly since they might not have your best interests at heart in every situation.

the end

that's it for the creeping vine! the base feature element that was mentioned in the bogeyman breakdown was removed in editing (i needed that space for something else), so it's a slightly shorter post this time. "next week", or more accurately when i next remember, i'll be talking about the drowned, a water-themed playbook!

[drops-of-moonlights]

I got an ask about favorite winx transformations and if my thoughts have changed at all in the last couple years that was lost to the void when my computer crashed like 3 hours ago and while I made one post about that aeons ago I don't want to go edit it again so I'm just remaking it wholesale lol. I think at this point y'all are familiar with my TakesTM so I don't need an intro, all the shit is below the cut. also this is for. all of them. like the comic ones included. also gonna provide images for them because it is all of them and most people don't know about the 9 comic ones.

*takes a look at the amount of transformations* oh god we're at 24 of these fuckers? lord. anyways we're going worst to best and honestly most of the worst ones will be the comic ones lol. Also I'm grouping MW and Charmix as Charmix Specials-style because they are just an accessory on top and the rest is the same so they will be judged together so that brings it down to 23.

23 - Paintix

This is by far the most creatively bankrupt of the transformations. Literally the exact same ugly top skirt boots combo 8 times. I have never found scans of the issue its featured in but they could have done so much more with a transformation themed around color? like c'mon here.

22 - Greenix

This one is better than Paintix for at least giving the girls different colors for more than just one (1) part but it's still the same exact dress 6 times with only minimal variation on the vines along the top, and it's sad, because this is supposed to be THE vegetation transformation as it represents the ENTIRE POWER OF LYNPHEA at your fingertips.

21 - Trendix

[IMAGE NOT FOUND]

THIS ONE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ACTUAL GRAPHICS BECAUSE IT'S FROM A BOOK but the idea is that it's just Fashion Cheatcode the transformation and only Bloom, Stella and Flora get it so it's low, but above Paintix and Greenix for cheating in a way I find funny.

20 - Magic of Sports

Okay this one isn't even a real transformation as they just get wings with their regular fútbol fits (it's from the 2014 world cup issue) but at least the girls are wearing different outfits and the wings are also different colors so it has that going over Paintix and Greenix.

19 - Magic Rock

this one's a crime. but a crime with more thought put into it than the rest, so it's higher than them. Props to them, they all have different silhouettes and there are forms higher than them that can't break that treshold, but that still is not enough. What are they wearing. what is that. Musa why are you a makeup brush. Also they use this form to beat ghosts and win a music contest. what.

18 - Tynix

I've never been shy about my dislike for Tynix, and I feel this shows it well enough lol. bullshit obtainment aside I just think it's ugly - the construction paper gems, the shitty undersuit, the clunky broken glass heels, the random ruffles, it's all bad. The wings and the hair are cool and. that's about it really.

17 - Enchantix

I've also never been shy about my utter hatred for Enchantix, so I won't really rethread old ground here, but basically I think it's bullshit overall and it's only above Tynix despite hating Enchantix more because I can begrudgingly agree some of them are pretty. Still hate they're all flowers tho that's just bad. if you removed or adjusted the extra pink and restored everyone's skintones so they're not whitewashed S8 Enchantix would kick the ass of OG Enchantix to the curve visually (except Flora's she took a downgrade)

16 - Mermaid form

Yeah I also hate this one. I just don't think it makes sense to have fairy mermaids when mermaids are already a species in Winx and when the show cannot make up its mind if being fairy is a CHOICE or if being fairy is a BIOLOGICAL CONDITION, we don't need this shit muddling things up further. Points for giving Tecna proper wings tho good for them.

16.5 - S8 Sirenix and Crystal Sirenix

I'm also throwing the two S8 Sirenix ones in this tier because I don't like them either lol. S8 Sirenix fairs better than Crystal but not by that much.

15 - Travelix

We start the area where I just think they look... fine. I like the idea of the visuals and this is a transformation that SHOULD'VE been in the show proper (really they would've made more dolls that way) but it's also not anything groundbreaking. For those curious this is the transformation granted by the Stone of Memories that allows someone to travel in time. hence me saying it should've been in the show proper lol.

14 and 13 - Sophix and Lovix (position changes)

Some of them are good! Some of them suck ass. And therefore they end here because they aren't more than just Believix, Summer and Winter editions.

12 - Butterflix

I love the Butterflix wings and hairstyles and I think it had a solid IDEA but they put TECNA in a tutu and some crimes cannot be forgiven. points for having Stella's bodice be sunbeams tho.

11 - Dreamix

I don't really care all that much for Dreamix, but it edges out Butterflix, and that's the reason for this placement. I still don't get what the netting is supposed to be but I do love the wings.

10 - Onyrix

Onyrix also only slightly edges out Dreamix - the colors are worse and the wings are bad but I find it more visually interesting than Dreamix and it gave us Blue Stella back, so it has rights on that alone.

9 - Harmonix

We're getting into the ones I'm more positive for! but half of Harmonix is gorgeous half of Harmonix is bad. LOVE the idea of the trails and it has THE best spells out of any transformation but I genuinely don't think it's a transformation SUPER fit for being underwater and given that's its purpose it kinda. falters lol. Also I don't get how the trails are meant to be like mermaid tails? Everyone says that and I just don't see it. I see them as waterfalls more than anything else really.

8 - Magic of Food

Yes. I'm ranking the food form this high. Why? Simple - it's actually. really well done? Flora and Bloom's hair is trash but they went for a weird concept and made a transformation that actually looks pretty appropiate all in all, and I know this is because it's a sponsored transformation but hey, that cash went to a good-ass look lol.

7 - Magic of Joy

LOOK AT THIS. LOOK AT IT. ENCHANTIX WISHES IT HAD THIS EFFORTLESS ELEGANT SIMPLICITY. The wings being the same is lame but they all just look so pretty AND THEY TOOK THE TIME TO MAKE SURE TECNA HAD PANTS and I have to commend that. Bless you quokkas you funky animal you, thank you for giving this to us.

6 -Cosmix

OH COSMIX I WISH I COULD LOVE YOU MORE I genuinely find it pretty for the most part and it's the best Tecna and Musa have looked in years but I just cannot forgive Stella's vagina collar. I cannot.

5 - Charmix

What even IS there to say about the OG? the very first? It's iconic all on its own but I know my love of it is mainly guided by the happy memories of watching S1 and S2 as a child. That and some of the bags are not that great.

4 - Mythix

MYTHIX HAS RIGHTS AND I STAND BY THAT. IT'S WHAT ENCHANTIX SHOULD'VE BEEN. I am a person of simple tastes, I see magic wand I go apeshit. Also peak wings no wings rival the Mythix wings if you disagree you are wrong hate the dresses if you want but you cannot argue with me about the wings. I do agree some of the shoes are ugly tho.

3 - Sirenix

Yeah I love Sirenix. I understand the complaints about it being samey but I just love it - the ribbons, the hair streaks, the fins in the legs, the fish scale pattern leggings, I just think it slaps and it being wetsuit-based is so fitting for it. Shame about the same wings tho. Also we all know Sirenix has THE best transformation song ever made and that's a FACT.

2 - Bloomix

Bloomix is, objectively, the BEST the Winx have ever looked like. you cannot beat armor, you cannot. Stella's hair is a disgrace but it was the tradeoff for Flora being freed from her shitty hair blades for ONCE in her life and it's overall really good looking.

1 - Believix

Believix is peak and always will be. The perfect blend of fairy whimsy and modern aesthetics (for the time). The wings. the song. the transformation sequence. Really the only bad is Musa's shitty aerobics instructor pants and even then that fits her so I can't be TOO mad. Believix is love Believix is life.

[merakiui]

Might be a little controversial, but 6D* You're just so friendly and welcoming. I did put you with your beloved tako in the end at least!

Ignihyde, Kalim, and the board game club!!!! :0 why, thank you for putting me in the club my favorite tako is in hehe. <3 I would absolutely demolish him in a card game. >:) I feel like Ignihyde would be a fun dorm to stay in because it's so high-tech and the neon blue is pretty, but truthfully I am abysmally bad at handling technology problems. I would be at Idia's doorstep nearly every day just to ask for help LOL;;;;;; he would hate me for that.

Octavinelle, Azul, and the mountain lovers club!!! This makes sense to me and I promise this isn't my love for the fish speaking. I understand Azul's grind!! He's annoying and so very persistent when he sets his sights on something, but then so am I and we're both dedicated to reaching our goals. I'm forever rooting for him. And the mountain lovers club vibes omg!! I will be the first to join Jade's club. I adore nature. orz we could enjoy so many nice hikes while admiring the flora and fauna. We are meant to be. True love is taking a hike together and stopping every five seconds to look at a cool rock or a pretty flower or a patch of moss.

Pomefiore, Kalim, and light music club!! Omg I don't think you're off at all! Light music club is so fun because I think my vibes align similarly with Lilia, Cater, and Kalim. And Pomefiore is a fun choice. If I were sorted into Pomefiore, I would absolutely thrive. Every day would be fun getting to be around students who like fashion, and I think it would be interesting to spend a day just talking about fashion. And I'd do anything just to have a spa day with Vil or let him do my makeup omg!!!!

Octavinelle, Riddle, and board game club vibes. OOOOOO the Riddle vibes... he's just like me fr. <3 I love my strawberry bf with all my heart!!!

Pomefiore, Kalim, and mountain lovers club! I have been assigned the Kalim vibes by many, so I think it's safe to say this is a factual truth at this point hehe!! :D

Octavinelle, Vil, and gargoyle studies club!! Oooo I think the Vil vibes make sense! I'm not harsh on others like Vil, but I do strive to be my best possible self at all times. Also, I adore fashion and makeup. No matter what mood I'm in, I must always look my best in a nice outfit. I think Vil would understand that sort of feeling! :D and the gargoyle studies club!! I would love to spend hours in that club looking at gothic architecture and gargoyles with Malleus. I'll gladly listen to him talk about gargoyles all day if he lets me ramble about all things gothic and Victorian.

(assign me a twst vibes!)

[wigglesdtuff]

In celebration of her birthday: any Robin hcs?

OH YES!!!

I love thinking about her and I STILL HAVE SOME TIME BEFORE IT'S NOT HER BIRTHDAY!

These are random because I'm trying to remember the ones I've talked to my friends about. I've never actually listed out headcanons before LOL

I think that (starting in Skypiea after Sanji gave her that flower) she presses flowers/flora from all the different islands they visit, much like how Nami keeps a detailed log.

My friends and I have joked that she texts like she is writing a very formal email and I just think that would be very charming. (Like she starts a casual text with a "Dear Franky," and everyone just goes along with it because it's endearing).

Okay this one is anime only, but I like to think that she started drawing after she met and grew attached to Soran from her time in Tequila Wolf since we don't see her draw until after the time skip. I think she drew some of the crew when she was missing them a lot during their two year separation. Now she keeps doing it because it's a fun little hobby! She and Usopp bond over it like they do gardening!

You can find my ramblings and theories for Robin and Luffy being siblings here. I just think they spend a lot of time together in their down time, she's very endeared by her peculiar little captain. He lets her steal his hat sometimes or she will absolutely play keep-away with it to keep him entertained if necessary for the crew.

Less of a headcanon and more just something that's true, but I think about it a lot, is that she absolutely still has bangs after the timeskip they are just grown out/pulled back (she has them sideswept in several color spreads and in Dressrosa). The headcanon part is that I think she did this to try and change up her appearance to avoid immediate detection (her bangs are prominent in both of her pre-ts wanted posters), though this is rendered moot upon her post-Dressrosa poster.

I think she absolutely still Dereshishishishi's as an adult when she's distressed, we just don't see it because the Straw Hats bring her so much genuine joy she's rarely down for long. I imagine she has bad days that we don't see, though.

Supposing Frobin is real and true like it is, I think that she gravitates toward him because he is so good at genuinely making her laugh (on top of his kindness and all of his many positive qualities) and he reminds her of Saul. Even in a non-shipping sense, I think that he and the other Straw Hats embody that "laughing brings you joy" that Saul was all about, and that's neat (again not really a HC, just a thing I like).

I think after Long Ring Long Land she enjoys skating and I think that they should go to a roller rink, it would be fun. I'm right about this one and Oda/Toei should listen to me.

IF there was an in-universe equivalent of The Lord of the Rings, she would be the biggest fan and know every piece of lore possible. Chopper has absolutely heard everything about it at least twice - happily!

Brook is to Robin as Usopp is to Nami, except Robin goes really hard on the "playful meanness." Brook is fine with this, I imagine. They are simply besties.

She's into the drama. She loves to hear the gossip, but is rarely involved. Yes she will eavesdrop. Yes she will stir the pot.

She pranks with the best of them, she's just harder to catch!

Robin likes to thrift shop rather than buy brand name stuff because she likes the idea that the clothes and things have a story. This will explain her many eclectic fashion choices, but she still manages to slay. Nami prefers the name brand stuff because now they can afford it. She and Nami have a lot of fun dressing the crew.

A lot of characters go to her when they're sad (to which she appreciates feeling needed/wanted) and she is like the best at comforting since it's something she had to do for herself for so long! Alternatively, she could also be really bad at it and is too morbid for some. It depends on the situation.

She is very touch starved - not in a romantic or sensual sense either, she just very much relies on touch based on the nature of her powers (she can feel everything, but rarely is it like. a fun time). So she likes genuine contact from others (hugs, handshakes, high fives, sitting close, etc) but does not know how to initiate a lot of the time so she ends up not always getting the affection she craves BUT as she opens up more I imagine she'd be able to communicate that with others (especially Franky!)

Confirmed secret theater kid. Absolutely can sing and will sing, but it's rare. Brook and her often duet.

OKAY I did not intend to keep writing but it was too much fun to think about!

I could probably come up with some more, but alas! Happy birthday Nico Robin, truly the character of ever.

[thana-topsy]

#46

Oblivion Sheogorath/Teldryn Sero

There was a bit of debate over what qualified Oblivion Sheogorath versus Just Sheogorath, but overall "out of envy/jealousy" seemed to be the more challenging part of this prompt. But I'm getting very good at outsourcing these things. Maybe that's cheating? But there were just SO many good ones that deserved at least someone writing it. We've once again got the amazing @mareenavee on board for this one! She managed to make it work, and I'm in awe. Here's a snip, plus a link to the full on thing on AO3. As a warning, it did make me very emotional and I may or may not have shed a tear.

---

Sheogorath x Teldryn Sero "A kiss out of envy or jealousy."

When the Dunmer wandered into Mania with questions held in his hands like ropes, Sheogorath didn’t know what to do about it. Or what to say. Or think. They rarely ever bothered to order Their thoughts. That was for…well. You know.

With a wave of a hand, They set up a fine mahogany table in the long grass among the strange flora that sprung up from the ground here, overbright as it was and how it clashed horribly with Their outfit. Well, that could be changed, too, at the end of the day. Or the beginning. It didn’t matter. Dunmer. Guest. Did he like cheese? It was difficult to say.

“Mortal!” Sheogorath said, wide grin on a face that did not quite say ‘Daedric Prince,’ because it had, in fact, just said ‘Mortal!’ and it would not have been the first time such a face would have said that, now would it? Dunmer. Guest. Better to focus.

“What is the proper way to greet…the Prince of Fools?” the Dunmer asked. His voice drawled. Too much ash. A little on the annoying side. Nice tattoos, though. Must’ve hurt. And all that chitin! Well. Fashion was never really a requirement to find the Shivering Isles, after all. Most of the time, they found you, as it happened. They smoothed Their fine purple suit jacket and stood up a bit straighter.

“Well,” Sheogorath said with a laugh. “Perhaps don’t call me a fool, all things considered.” They paused. They’d been leaning on the table before then, absently picking at the rind of a cheese wheel. “It’s…rude? Oh, whatever. Prince of Fools is fine.” They turned their face to the Dunmer and grinned both maliciously and enviously, for reasons still swirling about in the chaos. “And which of your myriad titles should I call you?” They waited through a bout of indigestion. Cleared Their throat and tapped Their chest. Wouldn’t do to have the Nymic fall out again. “Nerevarine? Hortator? Teldryn? Or perhaps simply… Sero?”

“Sero is fine,” he said.

“You ought to thank Neloth again for that one. He’s around here somewhere. Can’t quite get him to leave. Never could!” Sheogorath waved Their hand dismissively with a bark of a laugh. Sero sighed. Melancholy, grief, exhaustion – perfect, plenty to pick at. “So what brings you here?”

Sheogorath, of course, knew exactly what brought the great Nerevarine to Their doorstep. Or table. Or meadow. You know. The thoughts were written on his face, almost literally. In ink! This one who gained immortality without asking for it and yet could wander Nirn without the weight of responsibility. They knew there had been no choice all those years ago for either of them. That Sero hadn’t already succumbed to madness was in and of itself madness. And quite unfair, if They were being honest with themselves. They weren’t, per usual. Not in the traditional sense. Madness had come far too easily for them.

“I want to forget. Azura knows I’ve tried.”

Read the rest on AO3

[deer-knight]

Hello &! This may be a bit odd, and no need to answer if you choose not to. I've been playing DnD for a while now, and I absolutely love my character. They are primarily a rogue, but I multi class as a ranger a well. Anyway, I guess I'm just curious if you know any ways to be a real life, modern rogue. In any and all senses really. Style, attitude, practices, mindset, anything. I'd like to get into better shape and be more acrobatic, but I have chronic pain that makes that difficult. I'm not sure what else to try. Thanks for any insight!!

- 🦊

hey anon! this is such a fun ask. i would class myself as a ranger as opposed to a rogue, but depending on the book you go by they can be pretty similar. since rangers are closer to my own experience, i'll speak to that. i have a suspicion this will be a fairly long response, so i'll put it all under the cut.

style: now, i style myself the way i do for a lot of reasons, but the big two are: it's functional for my year-round outdoor job and lifestyle, and i like it. lol. so it's a lot of workwear, durable materials like canvas and leather, and natural fiber like linen, cotton, and wool. dark green is my favorite color, so a lot (and i mean a LOT) of my wardrobe is green and brown and black. this also means everything i own already matches and i don't have to know anything about fashion (or making choices related to fashion). but, obviously those earth tones also aid the ranger vibes. also, i don't buy any clothing new (underwear exempt), and i do a lot of repair and mending when i wear through stuff, which happens all the time. support your local secondhand shops, and take good care of the stuff you have so it lasts as long as possible.

attitude/mindset: these are similar so i'll group them. this one's pretty simple i think. having respect for the earth, and being part of its preservation and conservation is really important. that also means being aware of and knowledgeable about the history of the land, indigenous people, plants, and animals, and practicing good stewardship where you live. (i mean, i think everyone should do this, but especially if you want to style yourself as a ranger). get to know your local flora/fauna. even in urban environments, obviously there are native plants and animals that still live there. practice kindness. patience. work hard, and know your limits. especially with chronic pain. it's great to feel accomplished, but don't sacrifice your health for it. be resourceful - use what you have.

practices/skills: i'm adding skills in here. because i think rangers are generally skilled in the realm of wilderness knowledge. fire skills, tracking skills, camping, foraging, etc etc. are all important things i think rangers should be at least familiar with. these are all skills that take a long time to develop though. practice and persistence and experience will yield results. hunting skills would be excellent, and not something i've had an opportunity to explore yet. but archery is something i've done for over a decade now. a very good ranger skill. in the end, i think modern rangers are folks who are close to the earth and care about keeping it safe. restoration, indigenous rights and sovereignty, and conservation are priorities in doing so. living in ways that limit our footprint. being resourceful and resilient. knowing the land we live on. having wilderness skills. i think these are the foundations.

im not sure if this is what you were looking for, but it's what i've got. cheers! &

[thetarttfuldickhead]

do you have any thoughts about the perfume/cologne/deodorant of Roy or Keeley?

Oh, Keeley’s hard, because I think she’d know a lot more about perfumes than I do, and have a far better idea of what is fashionable or not. Then again, I can also see Keeley saying fuck off to fashionable and just go with whatever floats her boat. She’s sure to have a collection of scents for different occasions, selecting what suits her mood and outfit, even if she might have a few favourites that she wears more often than others.

Generally, I’d say she leans towards very feminine and sweet scents, preferably floral and/or fruity ones, rather than very fresh or very aromatic or woody ones. Amber florals, mostly, I’m thinking, or maybe a fruity gourmand.

I’d love to say Twilly D’Hermes Eau Poivrée, because I think the aesthetic of the little bottle with a bowler hat and a colourful scarf is very much up Keeley’s alley, and I do like the symbolism of the cute packaging hiding something surprisingly spicy and strong. Unfortunately, I just can’t square the actual smell with Keeley, especially since the dry down turns rather mature (read: old-fashioned). She might pick up the Eau Ginger, for the odd occasion when she wants to go all out on the sweet candied ginger, baked goods quietly having it out with a flower bouquet. It’s rarely her first choice, though.

I can see (smell) her in Valentino Donna Born in Roma, especially when she’s gearing up for a night out or day about town. There is a woodiness to it that always gives it a hint of smoke, but there’s lot of sweet floral notes as well, and vanilla. It’s pink too, so it’d go nicely with her everything. But maybe this is something she would have primarily worn a couple of years ago, back when we first met her on the show. These days, and especially when she’s at the office or doing business, I think Gucci Guilty pour femme would be a solid choice: it’s a little less in your face, still very sweet and floral but with a hint of citrus freshness to it that makes it lighter, and a quiet undercurrent of spice that lends it a certain air of elegance and (fashionable) maturity. It’s also supposed to be for “women who are truly liberated. A modern declaration of self-expression and fearlessness” and while that’s obviously marketing bullshit it’s also very fitting for Keeley, right? It’s not her party perfume, but yeah, quite possibly her everyday office choice.

For a classic, she might turn to Coco Mademoiselle, as might we all in times of trouble. When she’s feeling the need for something a little less sweet and more purely floral (and woody), the EdT Euphoria Blossom by Calvin Klein might do (if she can get hold of it, it’s no longer produced and I’m very bitter about it), or maybe something from the Gucci Flora Gorgerous line.

Roy is far easier: it is my very learned and expert opinion that he’s recently been rocking Ralph’s Club by (you guessed it) Ralph Lauren.

It’s not a hugely original scent, perhaps, but it is very likeable and not at all boring. It’s got a freshness to it, a little sweet velvety floral layer that turns the aromatic wood into something more than just your average masculine scent. It’s sleek and casually elegant with a nice (if not extremely surprising) twist to it, and smelling it I can smell Roy. I don’t think he’d want anything too out there, but if he bothers getting a perfume at all, he still wants it to be nice and somewhat fashionable (even if he’d hate to admit it) and not just out and out traditional musky spice and wood and leather. The freshness also makes it something suitable for a well-groomed athlete even if it’s very much not a sport scent. Can be worn to any occasion, too, which I think Roy would appreciate – one bottle of perfume is plenty, thank you.

Also, it comes in a all black bottle, so yeah. My main concern is that I’m not sure that Roy would care to be part of any club of Ralph’s, but I have decided that he’ll suck it up. At least he’ll be smelling nice while sulking about it.

[world-of-wales]

Ah, I missed that you had reblogged the ask game & now people have asked the ones I'm most curious about! But if you have more to add then the ones I wanted to ask were: 🤍☕️🧁🔥

I'm skipping one question which I already answered before.

☕️: what is your favorite royal name

Ooh so this will have a lot of people on here disagree with me but I love both of Guillaume and Steph's kids names. They give me those old French royalty vibes ✨️ They are such beautiful and regal names, I'm totally and completely in love.

Prince Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume

Prince François Henri Luis Marie Guillaume

I mean look at them need I say more?

Ik a lot ot people see them as old fashioned names and its their choice. Not everyone can have impeccable taste. I for one adore them.

🔥: which royal do you feel bad for even though they weren’t a good person

I changed the order of the questions a little because my next answer will only make sense with the context of this one.

For this I'll go with Queen Victoria. So most people love Victoria In this fandom. But I have a very....confusing relationship with her? If that makes any sense. Victoria for me is a very very gray character like there's aspects of her life which always make me question her as a person but then there's other aspects of her which make me empathize with her and give me some perspective over her decisions.

She's done so much questionable shit that I'm sure i can write a whole essay over it if someone asked me to. But the biggest aspect of her that I have never agreed with is her treatment of her kids.

Victoria wasn't a good mother in any shape or form, and we know this from all the examples of the way she would treat her children - gaslighting Edward vii when he talked about her not being a present enough parent for them and blaming him essentially for the death of Albert (edward vii isn't someone redeemable in my eyes either but that's another topic), her reaction to both Alice and Beatrice's relationships and marriages, her behavior and complete apathy towards Victoria following Sigismund's death, wanting all her kids to be like Albert but then being disappointed with them when they couldn't fulfill her unrealistic expectations and other things that she did. I don't think it's a reach to believe that Victoria's behavior stunted the emotional growth of her children.

Then there's also the case of how disgustingly she behaved with Lady Flora who it was later found out was suffering from a tumor. She was also famously partisan and social reform like improving working conditions was never something she saw any point in. Then there's the whole fostering of Duleep Singh and him being taken from Jind Kaur, his mother.

However having said all of that, I do feel for her. She became the queen at a very young age. All that burden and responsibility when you are just a teenager cannot be good for anyone nor was it for her. She herself also didn't have the best of mothers who was extremely controlling. Conroy was a cunt. She depended a lot on Albert and loved him fiercely but she lost him so soon too. She never recovered from that. And maybe she was this way to her kids and micromanaged them so much was because she saw them as the only remaining thing of Albert in her life. I also think she probably did suffer from post partum depression with her pregnancies which only got worse as time went, and that affected her relationship with her children too.

I just realized I have written a lot on victoria here 🙈🙈🙈

Thus, I have always struggled with liking her or not liking her so much. Almost always I reach a different conclusion to all this based on which aspect I look at it from.

🧁: which royal deserved better

Victoria's children, I wish they hadn't had the kids of childhood and youth they had. Like I mentioned before that I can almost understand why maybe Victoria was the way she was but still her behavior did lead to problems for her kids emotionally. She heavily relied on Albert when he was alive and when he passed away she used her kids especially her daughters to fulfill that role in life. She basically raised her daughters to be almost like an extension of her and have no other life except one revolving around her.

Her sons, especially Edward vii bore the brunt of not being able to measure up enough to their father in her eyes. They all had a very emotionally abusive (yup that's the word) relationship with their mother and that's always made me sympathize with them.

Though it's so sad how how victoria essentially became the same kind of mother to her kids that her mother was to her. The cycle that started with her mother was repeated by her.

Thank you for this and So sorry that this turned out so long 🙈🙈🙈

[taldigi]

Out of curiosity, and if you don’t mind me asking, what’s everyone’s favorite food and drinks in ladybug classic and the fashion club au?

ohh thats a big one, and one I havent put too much thought into.Its a little hard to like, parse "what french kids actually eat" from "what journalists want to sell you on what the french eat because french is fancy" from my research.

Marinette is a busy girl who likes quick snacks instead of full meals. Eating is a chore that gets in the way of her STUFF TO DO. I think she'd be fond of easy-to-grab easy-to-eat stuff like bread rolls, croissants, stuffed pastries (a side effect of being raised in a bakery) but in general is the kind of kid to just.. grab a bowl of rice (her mom has a rice cooker always packed with fresh rice on all the time) and/or throw whatever is leftovers on top (anything, ANYTHING.) Drinks on the other hand, she seems the type to be super into sparkling waters (strawberry) but also really likes boba teas, because the drink has an interactive element (chewy tapioca!) and it's sweet.

Felix is an odd one, he's raised on this.. plain, minimalist diet that's pretty high in protien because his dad expects him to excel in sports (boxing) so it's a lot of like.. chicken, and greens (no salt, no dressing or fluff) so he gets a little weird when given like.. spices, or flavor- in the "where have you BEEN all my life" sort of way. I really like to imagine he settles into curry as a food he likes- since it's pretty versatile, has lots of variants from savory to spicy, and it's easy to make. His drink of choice? Frilly, seasonal coffee drinks. I'm talking the raspberry-dark chocolate valentines, the pumpkin spices, the peppermints- his vice, his bribe. He gets reward money from placing well in some of his boxing tournaments (the few times his father gifts him anything) and that usually goes directly toward these drinks.

Flora kinda eats everything, even when one might not consider it edible: but she's pretty into fast food, because her family usually makes her eat really fancy foods in fancy ways (I always eat the food wrong, and mother gets mad at me.) Most times she'll just order out, with a preference for thicker deli-style sandwiches and pizza (excuse to invite friends over!) HOWEVER her drink of choice is tea! tea tea tea. She knows everything about all teas ever. She has every tea, foreign and domestic. Iced teas, hot teas, blended teas- she grows some of her own teas. She has special tea instruments, imported tea cake/preh boxes decorate her walls, several custom-made tea sets, and enough matcha to kill a man.

I dont know enough about Malagasy Cuisine to make claims for Alina, but she likes a few dishes from there- because her parents passed it down to her and Theo.. even though both were born and raised in France. Shes super chill though and tends to go with the flow on what others eat or what is offered to her, leaning towards spiced (read, not spiCY, spicED) foods rather than fatty or sweet. (i actually see her being really into like.. mexican [i'm explicitly thinking of those chamoy/chili powdered candies] or indian dishes). Almost as if she values the smell over the taste (saying this as if the two senses aren't intricately related LOL) as for drinks? I think she's someone who prefers bitter, like straight tea... maybe wine too? Iced coffee as a treat, but with only a splash of cream.

Alix is a mystery, but they seem to subsist off caffine and energy drinks. Food? Unknown. Kagami is a lot like Felix where her diet is very strict. But she probably likes fast food when nobody is looking. She adopts a craving for energy drinks from Alix.