#the haven's official blessing

[silentheiss]

Hua Cheng is in love with someone else, so why does he keep kissing Xie Lian?

There’s only one explanation, really — Xie Lian is a really good kisser.

(he’s not)

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

Can I request something about after like they graduate? Like they invite MC to move in? No way Crowley letting is own Ramshackle

Anything related after they graduate? For Deuce, Jack, Silver and Sebek.

Deuce Spade:

Deuce is sweating bullets, shifting on his feet which alerted you to him having something important to say. He delivered the question as confidently as possible, not wanting you to think his nerves acting up had anything to do with the how much he wanted to live together. He wanted this more than anything but he braced himself for either kind of response, knowing you might think it was moving too quick.

Jack Howl:

Jack knew his philosophy on love was a unique one, unique enough that the courting process had been over a year long before you were officially labeled a couple, but he had to be sure you were the one. That’s why he doesn’t hesitate to pose the question to you once you’ve both graduated, since the concept of being apart now that you were adults didn’t sit right with him. He would feel a little hurt if you were to decline but would ultimately accept it, as he did realize you grew up differently than him.

Sebek Zigvolt:

Sebek won’t be asking you to move in right away, most likely not even until you’re properly engaged, and he has a home for you both to be in. He also needed to gather his own parents' blessing, and Malleus’, before he proposed. A lot is going on behind the scenes that you’re not even aware of, as Sebek gets plenty of council before he strikes. He wants to know he can provide for you before you’re settled in together, and he gets emotional thinking about how close that future is.

Silver:

Silver had no planning, the thought popped into his pretty little head and he simply asked. He thought it sounded nice to live together, to make a cozy little haven to call your own, and he grows more attached to the ideas the longer you talk about it. He looks at you with hopeful eyes, patiently waiting for your opinion and hoping your feelings mirrored his own.

[brookghaib-blog]

Kaiju n8 : The secret of Hoshina pt.2

pairing: hoshina soshiro x reader

summary: The beggining of the story between Y/N and Hoshina

an: pls be free to warn me about any mistakes in my writing

previous chapter

—

Years before Mina Ashiro assumed command of the Third Division, the unit thrived under the leadership of Captain Y/N. Known for her tactical brilliance and compassionate leadership, she was a beacon of hope and resilience for her team. Vice-Captain Hoshina Soshiro, a master swordsman and strategic genius, was her right-hand man, his loyalty to Y/N evident in every mission they undertook together.

Their relationship began strictly professional. Y/N admired Hoshina's dedication and his ability to remain calm under pressure, while Hoshina respected her leadership and the way she inspired everyone around her. As they worked together, their bond deepened, forged in the crucible of countless battles and shared hardships.

It was during a particularly harrowing battle with a massive kaiju that their feelings for each other began to surface. The kaiju had attacked a civilian area, and the Third Division was dispatched to neutralize the threat. Y/N and Hoshina led the charge, coordinating their team with precision and bravery. In the heat of battle, they moved in perfect sync, their trust in each other unwavering.

As the battle raged on, Y/N found herself in a precarious situation, surrounded by debris and with the kaiju bearing down on her. Hoshina, sensing her peril, fought his way to her side, his sword slicing through the enemy with lethal efficiency. Together, they managed to bring down the kaiju, but not without sustaining injuries.

In the aftermath, as they caught their breath amidst the ruins, their eyes met. For the first time, they allowed themselves to acknowledge the deeper connection that had been growing between them.

"Soshiro," Y/N said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Hoshina stepped closer, his usually stoic expression softening. "You never have to find out. I'll always be here for you."

Their relationship blossomed in secret, hidden from the rest of the Division to protect their positions and avoid any potential distractions. They cherished their stolen moments together, finding solace in each other's arms amidst the chaos of their duties.

Months later, Y/N discovered she was pregnant. The news brought a wave of joy and hope for both of them. They began making plans for a future beyond the battlefield, dreaming of a life where they could raise their child in peace, where they eventually organized a very secretive wedding to celebrate their love and become official in the eye of heaven itself, hoping to be blessed with happiness and the health of their baby.

One evening, after a long day of training, they sat together in their secret haven, a small, secluded part of the base garden that few knew about. The stars were bright above them, and the air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers.

"Soshiro," Y/N said, leaning against him, "I've been thinking about names."

Hoshina smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "Oh? Do you have any favorites?"

She nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "If it's a boy, I was thinking of Kaito. And if it's a girl, maybe Aiko."

"Kaito and Aiko," Hoshina repeated, the names rolling off his tongue with warmth. "I love them."

Their happiness, however, was short-lived. During a routine patrol, a new and unusually aggressive kaiju attacked. The battle was fierce, and despite their best efforts, Y/N was gravely injured. In the chaos, she lost their baby, a devastating blow that left her physically and emotionally shattered.

Realizing she could no longer continue in her role, Y/N made the painful decision to resign from the Third Division. She needed time to heal, and the memories of what she had lost were too painful to bear in the place where it had all happened.

The night she told Hoshina of her decision was filled with tears and heartbreak. They sat together in their secret garden, the weight of their grief heavy between them.

"Soshiro," Y/N said, her voice trembling, "I can't stay here. Every corner of this place reminds me of what we lost. I need to leave."

Hoshina held her tightly, his own heart breaking. "I understand," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I wish I could come with you, but the Division needs me. Promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise," she whispered, clinging to him as if trying to imprint his presence into her memory.

Y/N's departure was a quiet affair, known only to a few trusted members of the Division. She left behind a legacy of strength and sacrifice, her absence felt deeply by those who had served under her. Hoshina, in particular, felt the void she left behind, her absence a constant reminder of their shared pain and the future they had lost.

Years passed, and Mina Ashiro took command of the Third Division. Hoshina continued his duties, carrying the weight of his loss in silence. He never forgot Y/N, cherishing the memories of their time together and the love they had shared. He often found himself in the secluded garden, looking up at the stars and remembering the nights they spent dreaming of a brighter future.

Despite the pain, their story was one of resilience and hope. It was a reminder that even in the darkest times, love could endure, giving strength to face the challenges ahead. And though they were apart, the bond between Hoshina and Y/N remained unbroken, a testament to the enduring power of their love.

Every year, on the anniversary of the battle where they lost their child, Hoshina would visit a small memorial he had built in the garden. He would lay a single white flower on the stone and stand in silent remembrance, his heart heavy with both sorrow and gratitude for the time they had shared.

And though being separated by distance only, the memory of their love continued to guide Hoshina, inspiring him to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, just as Y/N had always done. Their love story, was marked by both joy and tragedy, both hoping that their healing would allow them to be together again.

[shepherds-of-haven]

Happy New Year, everyone! I thought it would be fun to do a little retrospective on the game's progress over the last year... Shepherds of Haven has grown so much from the little demo I posted in January 2018, and it continues to steadily build and flourish in so many different and exciting ways! Here's a look at just some of the things we accomplished in 2023!

I added 143,151 words to the game (2.5 main chapters, 8 new character interludes) in 2023: the equivalent of writing the longest Lord of the Rings book in one year! We also broke our huge 1 million word milestone—without including code—meaning Shepherds of Haven is now officially twice as long as War and Peace, and almost as long as the entire 7-book Harry Potter series... and all in a single game!

A lot goes into game creation behind the scenes, including the coordination and creation of visual assets for the game—like character cards, codex entries, maps, portraits, and backgrounds—fun stuff for the fans (like the MC info template we created), and songs for the official soundtrack. As the game creeps slowly and determinedly towards its initial completion, that also means learning new things as a solo developer to prepare for the future, like learning to build an official website, researching business and tax practices, and beginning to think about how to conduct testing, publishing, and marketing down the road. Much of what I enumerate here hasn't been made public yet and will continue to cook in the background for a while, but I'm very proud of the work I've gotten done this year and will be excited to unveil more in the future!

And of course, for even more Shepherds of Haven content, I've added and completed even more stories for our little library on Patreon (which also has sizable word count at this point): The Bridge of Bones (a Trouble and Riel murder mystery), O Happy Dagger (a dark adventure featuring Briony, Chase, and Red), and The Hunt (a wild tale involving Tallys, Halek, Shery, and new kinds of spirits, fey magic, and Elves) were all serial stories completed in 2023, while Some Kind of Virus is a cyberpunk zombie apocalypse AU that will continue to be updated with new chapters monthly.

A full list of the Shepherd short stories and serial novellas (with links) can be viewed here!

I hope you enjoyed this session of Shepherds of Haven Wrapped! Honestly, this doesn't actually cover everything I've been working on, but some things can't be packaged and listed out neatly, or otherwise won't seem very interesting to anyone else but me! 😂 As we inch through Chapter 9 and get more interludes done (only a few more main chapters to go), I'm hopeful that I'll also be able to find time to work on my next novel, but we'll see if the Shepherds schedule ends up ramping up or settling down as we work steadily towards finishing the main story!

One important thing before wrapping up is to acknowledge your guys' role in this wonderful, wild journey. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions to the development of Shepherds of Haven. Whether you took the time to share links to the game, supported its growth on Discord or Patreon, left encouraging messages or asked interesting questions, reported bugs, or showcased your remarkable works of fanfiction or fanart, I am sincerely thankful for the unwavering support from this amazing community! Your collective efforts have played a pivotal role in shaping the world of the game into what it is today. Words cannot adequately convey my gratitude for your support, and I am truly blessed to have such a passionate community surrounding this project.

As we step into 2024, I am filled with anticipation for the developments awaiting Shepherds of Haven. Big things are on the horizon, and I am so excited to share these experiences with you! Thank you for being an integral part of this journey, and here's to the continued growth of our shared little world. Cheers to 2024—may it be a year filled with creativity, adventure, and joy! 🎊

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 15: After the Dance

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

Fortunately, your hotel room was conveniently located within the same complex as the school, sparing you the need for a drive or a long walk after the Gala.

That convenience turned out to be a blessing, allowing you both to easily retreat to the sanctuary of your hotel room after the emotional rollercoaster of the evening. The comfort of knowing that your personal space was just a short walk away provided a sense of relief, especially after the intense interactions and the spotlight of the Gala.

Once inside the room, the familiar, private setting felt like a haven. The tension that had built up over the evening began to dissipate as you stepped into the calm, quiet atmosphere, away from the buzz and social demands of the event.

"You want to talk about it?" Jake asked gently, closing the door behind him and turning to look at you, his expression one of concern mixed with support.

You considered his question for a moment, appreciating the safety and understanding in his eyes. It was a stark contrast to the complexities of the evening. "Let's just unwind for now," you suggested, craving the normalcy of your routine with him. "We can talk about everything tomorrow. I just want to enjoy the peace with you."

Jake nodded, understanding your need. "Sounds like a perfect plan."

Together, you decided to step out onto the balcony attached to your room, where the cool night air and the soft sounds of the city provided a soothing backdrop. The quiet of the night allowed you both to momentarily set aside the evening's events and focus on the comfort of each other's company.

As you leaned against the railing, Jake came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. The warmth of his embrace was reassuring, a physical reminder of the bond you shared.

"This is nice," you murmured, content in the moment.

"It is," he agreed, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. "No matter what happens, we've got this. We'll figure it out together."

"I just can't believe him!" you vented.

"And we're off," Jake remarked, taking a step back to give you space.

You turned to face him, the frustration evident in your expression. "I mean, how could he? The audacity to just announce that we're collaborating without even a formal discussion. And then, to insinuate—"

Jake held up his hands, a calming gesture. "I know, I know. Dorian's moves were out of line. But remember, we don't have to play his game."

You sighed, feeling the tension in your shoulders begin to ease with his words. "You're right. It's just… it felt so undermining, you know? Like my professional choices were being made for me."

Jake stepped closer again, his demeanor supportive. "I understand. But we're a team, you and I. Whatever decisions you make about your career, I'm here for it. We'll evaluate this together, see if there's any merit in considering it, and if not, we'll move on. No one dictates our choices but us."

His words were a balm to your frayed nerves. "Thank you," you said, genuinely grateful for his understanding and support. "I guess I just needed to hear that. It's been such an overwhelming day."

"Let's put it behind us for now," Jake suggested, offering a soft smile. "How about we focus on the fact that your work got recognized tonight? That grant is a big deal, Y/N. It's all you."

A small smile tugged at your lips, the pride in his voice igniting a sense of accomplishment within you. "Yeah, that part was pretty amazing, wasn't it?"

"Absolutely," he confirmed, pulling you into a gentle hug. "Let's celebrate that win, just the two of us. Forget about Dorian and the drama for tonight."

You nodded, resting your head against his chest, the steady beat of his heart grounding you. "Just us," you echoed, feeling the day's tension continue to melt away in his embrace. "But how do you feel about it?" you pressed for his thoughts.

Jake gently distanced himself and met your gaze. "You're considering it, aren't you?" he asked, searching your face for clues.

You hesitated for a moment, weighing your words carefully. "I'm considering all our options," you admitted. "Not necessarily with Dorian, but what this grant and recognition could mean for our future. For my research. It's a big opportunity, but I don't want to make any decisions without us being on the same page."

Jake nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I get it. And I want you to know, whatever you decide, I'm with you. My concern isn't the opportunity itself; it's about ensuring you're not being manipulated or pushed into something you're not fully comfortable with."

His response warmed your heart, reinforcing the solid foundation of trust and mutual respect your relationship was built on. "Thanks, Jake. That means a lot. I just… I want to make sure we're doing what's best for both of us, not just career-wise but for our future together."

He took your hands in his, a reassuring gesture. "Look, I've always admired your dedication and passion for your work. It's one of the many reasons I love you. If this grant, if this research, is what you want, then I'm all for it. We'll figure out the details together. Just promise me we'll keep the communication open, make these decisions together."

You nodded, the emotional weight of his words grounding you. "I promise. We're a team, in all things."

A smile spread across Jake's face. "That's my girl."

"And what about you, Jake Seresin? Stop trying to dodge the question," you challenged, seeking his genuine perspective.

Jake's expression turned thoughtful, a hint of vulnerability flickering in his eyes as he contemplated his response. The evening breeze played with his hair, adding a momentary pause to his deliberation. Finally, he spoke, his voice steady yet infused with the depth of his feelings.

"You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this, about us and our future," he began, his gaze locking with yours. "Seeing you up there tonight, getting recognized for your incredible work, it made me realize something important. I'm not just here to support you. I'm here because your dreams, your ambitions, they've become a part of me too."

He took a deep breath, choosing his words with care. "I've flown missions, been in situations where the odds were against us, but I always knew what I was fighting for. With you, it's different. It's not about fighting; it's about building something together, something lasting."

Jake's hands found yours again, a physical connection that bolstered his next words. "So when you ask me how I feel about the grant, about Dorian, about any opportunity that comes your way, my answer is this: I feel proud. Proud of you, proud to be with you. And yes, maybe a bit anxious about what the future holds, but that's not a new feeling for either of us, is it?"

He offered a small, reassuring smile, an acknowledgment of the shared challenges and triumphs that defined your journey together. "My career, my decisions, they've always been mine to make. But now, they're ours. And if this opportunity with the grant is something you want to explore, then let's explore it. Together. We'll weigh the pros and cons, make the tough calls, and navigate whatever comes our way."

Jake's sincerity was palpable, his commitment to you and your shared future unwavering. "So, to answer your question, I'm all in, Y/N. Whatever you decide, I'm with you. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about the grant or the research. It's about us, our partnership, and the life we're building together. And that's what matters most to me."

The conviction in his voice left little room for doubt. Jake Seresin, your partner in every sense of the word, was by your side, ready to face whatever the future held, as long as you faced it together.

"Wow. Where was this version of Jake four years ago?" you asked, genuinely surprised by his response.

"Hey, I'm doing my best here," he replied.

You leaned in and kissed him. "I know," you said softly, acknowledging his effort.

Just at that moment, his phone rang. Surprised, you glanced over at him. His phone hadn't rung once since he'd been home. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen.

"Darlin', I need to take this," he said, moving back into the hotel room to answer the call.

You watched him as he listened intently, nodded and said a few words. He then hung up the phone and hurried towards you. "Darlin', we need to go."

"Jake, what's wrong?" You asked, concern on your face.

"I just got called for a mission. I have 24 hours to get back, but the sooner the better."

You watched him for a moment. "I'll change, and then we can head out," you said, turning to walk back into the hotel room.

Tags: @buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @tgmreader @callsign-barbell @86laura11 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891

[transgenderswagcompetitions]

Okay! So I don't have an official bracket yet, but I finally got every character written down and determined who will be automatically going on to Round 1 and who will have to compete in preliminaries. Everyone automatically moving on to Round 1 had more than 1 submission, while everyone in the preliminaries only had 1 submission.

I will put together an official bracket tomorrow, but here's the list of competitors!

The characters automatically going on to Round 1 are:

Alex Fierro from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (4 submissions)

Shi Qingxuan from Heaven Official's Blessing (2 submissions)

Cheery Littlebottom from Discworld (2 submissions)

Nimona from Nimona (2 submissions)

Elle Argent from Heartstopper (2 submissions)

Eolo from The Raven Tower (2 submissions)

Anthony J. Crowley from Good Omens (2 submissions)

Kade West from Wayward Children (2 submissions)

Kel Brezon from Machineries of Empire (2 submissions)

The characters that will be competing in the Preliminaries are:

Rafe from Viscera

Rafe from The House of Whispers

Ash from DIE

Ash from Girl Haven

Jerico Soberanis from The Toll

Nadir from The Thirty Names of Night

Holly from The Mellification

Petrichor from Saga

Kazuhito "Kirito" Kirigaya from Sword Art Online

Aster Vanissen from Witch Boy

Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes

Vess from Invisible Kingdom

Tonkee Innovator Dibars from The Broken Earth Trilogy

Ben Van Brunt from Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow

Shuos Zehun from Machineries of Empire

Villy from Basil and Oregano

Valentine Weis from World Running Down

Howl Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle

Hero from Something's Not Right

Dominic Seneschal from Terra Ignota

Firestar from Warriors

Enjolras from Les Miserables

Beatrice from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

Axolotl from Wings of Fire

Isa from Transmuted

Inspector Javert from Les Miserables

Addy from Basil and Oregano

June Egbert from Homestuck

Alto from Your Mind is a Terrible Thing

David from Dark Currents

Monique from The Worm and His Kings

Viola Carroll from A Lady for a Duke

Will Avery from Names for the Dawn

Qven-and-Reet from Translation State

Syd from The Heartbreak Bakery

Claire/Claude from Baker Thief

Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire

Will Treaty from Ranger's Apprentice

Starflight from Wings of Fire

Yadriel from Cemetery Boys

Zila from Aurora Cycle

Kaladin Stormblessed from The Stormlight Archive

AR/Lil Hal from Homestuck

Zoe from Sleepless Domain

Sera from Angela: Queen of Hel

Max Owen from Magical Boy

Jonathan Harker from Dracula

Diana Wrayburn from The Shadowhunter Chronicles

Abraham Van Helsing from Dracula

Never from Skulduggery Pleasant

Benji/Benjamin from Hell Followed With Us

Brick from Warriors

Sidra from Wayfarers

Sascha Vykos from Vampire: The Masquerade

Penfield from Future Feeling

Sallot Leon from Mask of Shadows

Ieshwi from The Stormlight Archive

Vriska Serket from Homestuck

Orlando from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Spencer Harris from The Passing Playbook

Jane Crocker from Homestuck

Lupe from Four Leaf

Trina Goldberg-Oneka from The Seep

Cassandra Igarashi from The Wicked + The Divine

Aya Burnstein from Dancing in the Devils Auditorium

Lucus from High Class Homos

Merlin from The Left Handed Booksellers of London

Nightheart from Warriors

Sol from Dead Collections

Max from Magical Boy

Artemis Fowl from Artemis Fowl

Teo from The Sunbearer Duology

Wanda from The Sandman

Tal Smithson from Time to Orbit: Unknown

Petey the Cat from Dog Man

Captain Artemisia Blastside from Piratica

Rosa from Threads That Bind

Alter Boi from House of Whispers

Wegg from Be Kind, My Neighbor

Loki from Loki: Agent of Asgard

Scorn from Emergent Properties

Alanna of Trebond from The Song of the Lionness

Marcia Overstrand from Septimus Heap

Sage from Strawberry Seafoam

Jules from The Chromatic Fantasy

Peter Parker from The Amazing Spider-Man

Razia Khan from Stealing Thunder

Dipper Pines from the Gravity Falls comics

Mel from Something's Not Right

Hero Shackleby from American Hippo

Kino from Kino's Journey

The Marquis de Carabas from Neverwhere

River Runson from The Melting Queen

Jonathan Morgan from All the White Spaces

Leigh Hunter from Grey Dawn

Xada from LoveBot

Ienaga Kano from Golden Kamuy

Viola/Cesario from Twelfth Night

Silas Bell from The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Let me know if I accidentally have a character on this list twice! Also let me know if you see anything misspelled or under the wrong book or series. Basically, let me know if I've screwed up lol

Thank you all for your continued patience!

[noses-in-winter]

In Which Dr. Lawrence Sheldon Must Face His Sneezing Fetish (m/m, sneeze kink)

Howdy, all, I come bearing another fic featuring the glorious OCs of @virarushi ! This is my official drop of one of my main OCs, Dr. Lawrence (Lor) Sheldon who is a stammery, jaded, awkward nerd with allergic rhinitis that leaves his nose perma stuffy. He also has a huge sneeze fetish that he's always tried to repress to the best of his ability.

Do YOU like boys making each other sneeze? Do YOU like repressed nerds? Do YOU like tusks + sneezing? Then THIS is possibly a fic for YOU!

Anyway please don't reblog to non-kink blogs, thank you!! This is messy, bisexual and horny, be warned.

He had started nodding off on the trampoline again, hadn’t he? Shit. Everyone else had gone in already. Who else came tonight…? Ugh, he forgot. All Lawrence’s swampy, drunk mind knew was that it was only he and Alexander left out stargazing on the trampoline. 

And, of course, he knew that Alexander had been sneezing...a lot.

Lor looked up. Quivering, damp nostrils were the only things he could focus on at the moment. Well, that and a pair of tusks, exposed in a ticklish snarl and only becoming more and more evident as Alexander geared up for what looked like had to be a hell of a sneeze. Lor’s reaction may have been a bit more appropriate were he not stupid drunk. Instead of getting the pack of tissues that he knew were in his back pocket, Lor simply reached out a hand to place on Alexander’s shoulder. It jumped with one hitch, and then another--

“Hidd’tch!” Alexander buckled into his handkerchief, bouncing the trampoline slightly with the force. Oh. Not the ‘hell of a sneeze’ Lor had expected, but still decently strong. Something in him still knew the strong one would be coming eventually, though. 

In this case, ‘knew’ may have been synonymous with ‘hoped’. 

 Alexander sniffled blearily after that sneeze. He let his head loll back on the rubber of the trampoline, looking like he was ready to continue the conversation they had been having a moment ago-- “Hh-!” 

That second sneeze still needed to make an appearance, though. 

“Hihhd’scht!” 

There it was. 

“You’ve been sneezing a lot,” Lor murmured before he could properly process the statement. 

Alexander snuffled, rounded nose being visibly rubbed back and forth in the handkerchief. It was only when he looked up that Lor realized that had been said...out loud. Alexander’s lashes fluttered once, seeming to be more from sleepiness and drink than a need to sneeze. He finally lowered his handkerchief, but had evidently been unable to get his nose as clean as he might prefer. “Yeah. Yeah, I have, haven’ I?” Alexander murmured, nose scrunching with a dragging sniffle. He turned his head to squint over at the picnic bench that held their drinks. “...Maaaay’ve grabbed your acorn wine by m’stake...stuff’s magic as magic gets, I s’pose? An’...tastes like the regular stuff...a-ahhhhn’ all…”

Lor nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on his friend’s nose as it scrunched back and forth. Alexander winced and buried his nose right back into his handkerchief, clearly not done chasing this tickle off. “Sdf, ugh… Augh, gods… hihh!... ugh…”

He could only watch, transfixed, as Alexander rubbed slowly at the tip of his nose. Deliberate. Urging. He saw the pudgy domes of his nostrils, red and twitching and flaring as he seemed to…rub the tickle out of them? 

“Hh’ktch! Hh’eschuh! ” Alexander sneezed into his handkerchief, one right after the other. Well...not quite all in his handkerchief. The guy couldn’t help a bit of release escaping where the cloth hadn’t yet covered his nose completely. He quickly snuffled and went to start mopping up his nose. That’s how Lor knew that Alexander was drunk, too. Normally, he couldn’t imagine the gnorc just giving Lor a clear view of this...process.

“Bless you,” Lor said on an exhale. “Uhm. Did you...uh, did…” He could barely even say the words. “Did you...rub that one out?”

Oh. Oh. Oh, and now Lor was thinking about Alexander rubbing one out, in the traditional sense. Both that and his nose. At the same time. Oh. “Um. Sorry. I-I mean, make yourself…” Alexander didn’t seem to be making any connections here. Lor just awkwardly continued on.  “....Snneeeeze…?”

Ah! There was recognition on the gnorc’s face. “Sdf…yeah, y’ve gotta sometimes,” he said dazedly with a nostril scrunching sniffle, “when the ol’ gnome nose just won’t let’cha be done yet. So, ya just give ‘er a good rub like…”

No handkerchief this time. Alexander was just rubbing the tip of his nose with the flat of his hand. He went in a slow, sleepy swirl. Then, his nostrils started flaring. 

“A-...Alexander?” Lor murmured. 

His nose scrunched, and breath quaked, but he hardly seemed to notice. “Like… Hh..hheh--! L-Like thi--...hihh...”

“I-I-If you do that, you’re gonna…”

Lor acted impulsively, as he did frequently when drinking. He shot his hand out to snatch Alexander by the sleeve, fingers curling easily around his friend’s much smaller arm. His thumb connected with his middle and ring finger easily. Lor pushed Alexander’s forearm up to his dripping, teased nostrils, just as another two sneezes--- “hadt’zzzschoo! Haht’izzschhoo!” -- barrelled out of him.

Lor had successfully gotten Alexander’s cardigan to cover his nose, though...with his closed hand right in the way. Alexander snuffled with his eyebrows twitching sleepily together, eyes completely shut in the aftermath. He used the same forearm--and therefore the back of Lor’s hand--to rub his nose into. Alexander’s nostrils instantly flared when the sensitive tip was rubbed against the stationary hand of his best friend, and not the plush material of his cardigan. His brow furrowed with the instant need to sneeze, though he was evidently not aware of what was against his nose.

“Hhhnn…?” Alexander murmured once before the weight of that tickle set in. He could barely hitch once before Lor yoinked his hand back. With all the brains of a half-trained monkey, Lor took Alexander’s nose instead. Thumb on the dome of one nostrils, index and middle finger on the other. Was this dumb? Yes! Did his drunken, idiot mind know any other way of keeping Alexander from sneezing disastrously? It wasn’t like Lor …minded. But, ah, it would be best to preserve Alexander’s dignity the best he could, right? And, just like that, he pinched Alexander’s nostrils shut mid-flare. 

Alexander took in three quivering breaths that ticked his shoulders up a little higher each time. There was a long pause...and then his breathing slowed all together. The sneeze had mostly been scared off by the surprise of Lor’s sudden move. Alexander blinked dazedly for a moment before pulling back slowly out of his friend’s hold. Lor expected for Alexander to be embarrassed, or at least offended, but... 

“Heh...thanks, Lor,” Alexander chuckled blearily with the cutest tusked grin that Lor had ever seen. He buried his nose into his handkerchief yet again to wipe up the evidence of this brief sneezing spell. He tried, anyway. Again, didn’t have a handle on the entire thing right now. 

Was it extremely...cute? Attractive? Augh, something, that Alexander was just unable to realize what a mess he was right now? “B-...Bless you,” Lor gulped, hand held against his stomach. Saturn’s rings, he felt like he had just waltzed off a crazy rollercoaster at the county fair. 

“Thagks,” Alexander said again with a congested little snort. When he spoke again, his voice was much less stuffy. He relaxed into the rubber of the trampoline as it continued bouncing just slightly after that brief fit of his. “Hoooh. Kerlin’s coins, Mi’rah would love how much this d--snf--dimension makes me sneeze…”

Lor furrowed his brow. Alexander had mentioned Mi’rah before, sure, but...what was that about her, and, uh, sneezing…? 

Alexander needed no prompting to continue. “She has the loveliest sparkle in ‘er eye when I feel--ah...felt a sneeze comin’ on, y’know. Sweet Mi’rah...I hope she’s got a nice someone around who’ll let her play with their nose.” He sighed and looked up into Lor's eyes. Lor couldn’t get himself to look away. “I could sneeze real easy for her and all. I mean...I was practically made for the job. Gnomes, we sneeze at the drop of a hat. Hardly a challenge, and she would always be happy with the results…”

After several seconds of processing, Lor spoke again. “She...she liked it? When you were sneezing?” 

“Mhmm. Such a cute little kink, I think.” Alexander paused to stop and giggle at his rhyme. “Easiest thing in the world to entertain her.” 

 Was Lor only just now realizing what this thing of his was? A kink? Yes! And Alexander had...experience in this area. Christ alive. “Uh,” Lor murmured, “What sort of things did she…like seeing? I-I-I-If I can ask.”

“Ohhhh...” Alexander hummed before giggling again, bringing a curled knuckle up to rub back and forth beneath his nose. His smile was just as fond as it always was when he brought up happy memories to Lor. “‘Course you can ask. Mmm...where do I begin? Big fan ‘a just watchin’ when I felt a sneeze comin’ on. Wasn’t too rare when I spent time in her room. Biscuits made sure of tha’.”

Oh, yeah. Biscuits. Mi’rah’s cat. Just...hanging around, surely. Lounging on the bed. Rubbing up against pant legs. Shedding. “Uh, wh-...ahem, wh-what sorta thing was her...y-ya know. Favorite to watch?”

Lor figured a sober Alexander would have had a keen enough eye to tell that he was sweating bullets and keeping his hands held tight to his chest. This tipsy and magic-filled Alexander was far less observant. The gnorc’s bright green eyes were hardly focused, but they were still aimed in Lor’s direction. “Mmm...lemme see...she really jus’ liked noses for noses’ sake, too. Really liked it when...Well, I’m sure you can see how much I can get my nostrils to flare…”

 He tilted his chin up to demonstrate fully. Lor felt an instant jolt of lightning to his gut. Alexander gave them two, and then three impressive nostril flexes. He had to sniffle back a running nose then, but didn’t have nearly the comprehension that might have been there normally. “She--snf--would tease me about how they’d scrunch and twitch, but...‘tween you an’ me…”

Lor gulped as Alexander leaned close to him. Alexander sniffled and got the most secretive smile on her face. He winked at Lor. “I added a liiiiiittle drama to it when I could. Extra flarin’ and quiverin’. Got her tickled pink, heheh. And tended to just t--hih--tickle me more, too…” 

Every molecule in Lor’s body was desperate to say…something. Anything. All he could do, however, was blink at Alexander in a slow, mystified daze. What an enchanted life Mi’rah had to lead. Having someone (nobody in particular!) around all the time who...who let her toy with his nose--

“Ahh, that maaaay have been too...what’s the term? TMI? May’ve been too that...” Alexander said with a sheepish little wince. One nostril scrunched up with another budding irritation. He sniffled and knuckled the side of his nose, one eye squinting against the stimulant. “Should…snf, get m’self to be--”

“I think I have that, too.” 

Alexander stared at Lor. It took Lor several seconds to realize that had come from his own mouth. Alexander blinked slowly, his rubbing motions frozen at the side of his nose. Slowly, he lowered his hand and...chuckled. Just barely. “Heheh. So sorry, Lor. I’ve clearly had far too much to drink, ‘cause it sounded like you were tryin’ to say you…”

 Alexander seemed to be expecting Lor to shake his head and say ’of course not!’ in response to this insinuation. Alexander waited for that moment to come. When it didn’t, he continued with another unsure chuckle. “Say you, heh, had the same lil’ kink as dear Mi’rah.” 

Lor could have pretended to fall asleep. Or need to run to the bathroom. Or have an asthma attack. Yet, here he was, face to face with a guy whose nose was…clearly quite used to some tampering.

Again, he gulped. “...I-I dunno,” Lor said quietly, pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. Every word felt like its own deep, dark confession. Despite his best efforts, Lor could only let his gaze flicker between Alexander’s eyes…and his nose. Alexander’s eyes… and his nose. “I, uh...k-kinda find myself thinking about that sorta thing a lot. And feeling that...sorta thing...when other people do that...sorta thing? I never realized it was a…thing. I-I just thought I was weird for noticing something like that.”

Alexander was still squinting, slowly putting together a toddler-sized 8-piece puzzle of a puppy in his mind. His eyes were on Lor’s before sloooowly crossing to look at the tip of his own nose. It twitched with the attention. Apparently, Alexander’s tipsy brain convinced him he was being subtle, because he immediately cleared his throat and spoke casually. “Oh? What...sorta thing? A-And what...sorta people? If you don’t mind me asking…” 

“No!” Lor quickly said with a shake of his head. “No, no, I don’t mind. And, uh...what sorta thing…?” Hmm. What sort of thing did he find himself particularly drawn to? 

“Hh--heh!...” 

Oh. Alexander already seemed like he was about to have another sneezing spell. He snuffled and rubbed his nose in that same back-and-forth motion. Still, Lor spoke, though his voice cracked a bit more than he was happy with. He watched Alexander’s curled knuckles all the while. 

“Well.” Good a start as any! “I, uh...always seem to be staring when somebody...really rubs their nose a lot...” 

Alexander’s nostrils flared against his knuckles. 

“I-I don’t notice right away. Notice myself noticing, anyway. Kinda just get transfixed, ya know? Especially when they, uh...look like they’ll be sneezing any moment now. And when they do--”

These sneezes were too wrenching for Alexander to contain. He barely sucked in one quavering little hitch before pressing the back of his hand beneath his nose. This...did not create the cover that he clearly had hoped it would. “Hadht’szzchoo! Ht’esschhoo!”

Lor’s stomach flipped. “L-Like that,” he said, voice little more than a wobble. Lor regretted the words an instant later. He squeezed his eyes shut immediately so that he wouldn’t have to see Alexander’s complete look of disgust that had to be coming. “Hhnn. Sorry. Sorry. That was weird. That was really weird, right? F-Forget I said it, I’m just...drunk, and dumb, and…” 

There was no recoil. No tone peppered with discomfort. Simply Alexander taking in one long, dragging sniffle before speaking. 

“...Lor, it’s alright.” 

Alright? How could it be when he’d just confessed to thinking his best friend sneezing was...aughhh, Lor couldn’t even think it in his own head. He slowly cracked his eyes open to look at Alexander’s reassuring little smile. His nose ran slightly still, gravity doing its work by urging the drip to go a direct 90 degrees from Alexander’s offending nostril. He remained facing Lor, lying on his side. 

“You might be just as drunk as I am, but you’re hardly stupid,” Alexander said with an ineffective sniffle. “Kinks are perfectly harmless. ‘Specially this one. Geshtianna’s garter belt, you heard how fondly I just spoke about Mi’rah’s preferences, right?” 

Lor kept his gaze down. He studied every button of Alexander’s waistcoat. “...Well, yeah. But she was your girlfriend, she was supposed to be attracted to you.”

“...Oh.” 

Lor could tell from that ‘oh’ that he must have said something either very right, or very wrong. 

“I, ah...heh. Didn’ realize you were of a gentlemanly persuasion, yourself, Lor.” 

He wasn’t! He couldn’t be! Liking women was distracting enough on its own, but adding guys to the mix…? Lor would have loved to debunk this thought immediately, but…hoo, Alexander’s nose and his eyes and tusks and aughh his nose--

“Uh.” Lor’s expression tugged into a reluctant smile. If anyone wouldn’t shame him about this, it was probably Alexander, right? “...Yeah. I-I must, I guess? Because when I, uh...When you’re… I feel…? A-And Mi’rah must have had quite the college experience, heh, just based on the little bit you just told me…”

Alexander was quiet for a long enough time to make Lor worry. Just before he could ask if this had been a mistake, Alexander spoke. Lor couldn’t bear to look at his face. 

“...Lor. Stop me at any time, a’course, if I’m g-getting any of this---sdf--wrong… But, if you’re sayin you’d like--?” 

“Yeah.” Lor swallowed hard and looked back up at Alexander, chewing at his bottom lip with nerves. “Yeah. Uh. If you--? But, I mean, I guess, why would you...But, if you did, then...y-yeah. You can...ya know. Show me everything you did for Mi’rah…? To, uh...keep you practiced, and all. For when you get back to her.” 

Once again, the cutest smile curled the corners of Alexander’s lips. “...Heh. Keep me practiced indeed,” he hummed with a tilt of his head. “Everything, you said?” 

Lor felt like the air in his lungs was suspended in time. “Everything,” he repeated with a nod. 

It was common knowledge that Alexander could romance the hell out of whoever he wanted. Maybe not common knowledge, but…evident. It seemed to be the easiest thing in the world for Alexander to wrap his fingers around Lor’s wrist and draw his hand upward. “Here we are…” Alexander said with an inebriated little smile. He brought Lor’s hand to linger just before his rounded gnome nose. “She always loved just...givin’ it a lil’ push, whenever I had to--...”

He trailed off, tusks exposing themselves in a quivering little sneer. Lor could tell that Alexander was making a valiant effort to keep from sneezing. With a deep breath, Lor followed Alexander’s urging. He set his index and middle finger just at the tip of Alexander’s nose. The little push alone made his breath snag, but Lor took it a step further by sloooowly rubbing Alexander’s nose in a circular motion, just in the way Alexander had earlier. Lor watched as his jaw dropped lazily. Just as they had a few minutes ago, Alexander’s nostrils flared with the attention. His chest quaked with the impending sneeze. 

“...I-I think I always wanted to do this,” Lor murmured. 

A smile had just barely started to twitch at Alexander’s trembling lips when the sneeze took him over completely. He fanned uselessly at his nose for a few breathy seconds before pulling back from Lor’s hand. Alexander buried his nose into his wrist, sneezing powerfully-- “idht’IZSCHoo!” -- in a rapid-- hgh’izschhuh!”-- trio-- ”hh’yissschoo!--...Ugh.” Alexander wobbled in that aftermath. Lor took him by the shoulder. 

“Bless you,” Lor breathed, cheeks burning just as much as they were before. “You… Uhmm. Y-You’re really good at this.” 

“Th--hih! Thank you…” Alexander sighed into his handkerchief, sniffling with a dragging heaviness. He looked at Lor through teary eyes. The moment his handkerchief was gone, there was an evident little grin on his face. “Snf...That’s the sorta thing she’d do first…”

Lor gulped for what had to be the hundredth time. “What, uh...wh-what about what…you’d do?”

Lor himself didn’t really know what he meant, exactly, with that question. Alexander seemed to, though. He raised his eyebrows thoughtfully and regarded Lor before him. “...Well, snf...better ask wha’ you’re up for, first.” 

“Anything.” The answer came out of him before Lor could even fully process Alexander’s question. “Wh-Whatever you...did for her, you can…do with me. Y-You can even go a...a little further. Maybe a lot further? If...you want...I, uh...” Deep breaths, Sheldon. “You can...do whatever to me. W-With me. Whichever.”

Again, Alexander had his finger on the pulse despite his wobbly reaction to the booze and magic both. He was pushing himself into a side-sitting position immediately. Alexander seemed quite dizzy initially, taking several seconds to reorient himself. Once he had, Lor found himself with a hand just to the right of his shoulder, pressing into the trampoline. “I certainly want,” Alexander said quietly. In an instant, he was...not quite straddling Lor, but keeping himself held up with one knee on either side of Lor’s waist. Alexander didn’t sit just yet. He looked down at Lor through encouraging, teary eyes. He sniffled, and the results were more than visible to Lor at this angle. 

“I’d...keep her held just a lil’, like this. She was a good foot taller than you, Lor, so...experience was a lil’ different, I’d say, but just as nice. If this seems…good to you--?”

“Yeah,” Lor said quietly, eyes wide as he looked up. “Yeah, it’s. It’s good. Th-This is really good.” 

Alexander needed no further prompting than Lor’s breathy encouragement. He eased down, straddling Lor completely. Lor swallowed and shut his eyes against the rosy blush consuming his cheeks again at feeling Alexander just…on him. He was small, of course, and lightweight, but that was hardly what Lor was focusing on right now. Alexander sniffled with a bubbling little sound to it that sent a delighted chill racing up Lor’s spine. Just then, he reached to tuck one lone lock of hair behind Lor's ear. With his hand still lingering there, Alexander’s breath snagged. 

“I-I’d…straddle her, an’...” That sneeze was really torturing him. Alexander absently let his head loll back, slender chest rising and falling with each tickling breath. He reached up, firmly palming the underside of his nose. He sniffled in rapid succession, expression shifting into that sneezy blankness that Lor had come to anticipate. And, just like always, it led into a…. “Ihdt’szchhoo!”, smothered into his sleeve. Once again, the trampoline bounced slightly beneath them. Alexander’s thighs only hugged Lor’s waist tighter. One soupy sniffle later, another… “hhah!adt’izzdchoo!-- Oogh…”

Hooo. All of that was mind-blowing, but the breathy little moan after that second sneeze… Lor knew it was that showmanship that Alexander had mentioned, but maybe that’s what made this so...fuck, he could say it. So hot. 

“Bless you,” Lor murmured in a shivering exhale. “Y-...Y-You’re really...really hot right now. I-Is that...okay to say?”

Alexander’s dark eyebrows shot upward in surprise. He lowered his sleeve, nose a drippy red. He gave Lor the sleepiest, most sultry smile that the taller one between them had ever seen. “More than okay. I live to please, you know. An’ th--hih! Thank you…” Alexander said with a congested sniffle. Immediately after, Alexander reached down to feather his fingers in the curls at Lor’s temple. The touch sent another shiver through Lor’s body. “Pardon tha’…sdff, interruption. To continue….I would touch her gently, after tha’...She loved her hair being toyed with. May I take a guess that you do, too, Lor?”

Of course, Alexander received an eager nod in response. He smiled and leaned down closer, one hand coming to lightly hold Lor’s bicep. “Sometimes she liked a bit more, though, if she was really in the mood...Buttons coming undone, you know, and little kisses to her neck...Sometimes I’d just nuzzle her right….” He traced the simplest little circle on Lor’s neck. “...here, with my nose. Get her all fluttery. Lor, if you--?”

Again, he nodded. Lor felt he was outside of his own body as he reached for Alexander’s bicep right back, tugging him closer. That sealed it for the both of them. Alexander’s nose was soon nestling at the most sensitive spot on Lor’s neck. Lor gave one shivering little gasp as Alexander huffed a chuckle. The soft warmth of Alexander’s nose trailed down Lor’s neck and to his clavicle. It was only when his nose was just barely starting to nuzzle at the collar of Lor’s shirt did a hitch shake Alexander’s body. Lor should have kept his mouth shut, but fuck. This was hot. This was so, so, so, so fucking hot. 

“I...think you’re gonna sneeze,” he said with the most sheepish little exhale. 

Alexander nodded slowly and hitched against Lor’s neck again. “H-hih! How could you t-hehhh-tell?” he asked in the cheekiest little whisper. He snorted with a scrunch to his nose that Lor could feel occurring just beneath his chin. “I certainly hope I don’t--don’t--snff-- don’t sneeze while I’m still...t-tangled up with you...hih! Hehh--!”

The kitchen light flipped on. The glow filtered out into the backyard, just barely missing Lor and Alexander’s spot on the trampoline. They both froze. Even the sneeze was scared out of Alexander’s nose in what Lor knew had to be a fizzy, unsatisfied feeling. Quick as a whip, though, Alexander rolled off of Lor to flop right beside him on the trampoline. The moment they were in the clear, the irritation in Alexander’s nose decided to come back with a vengeance. He was hardly able to say one word to Lor before his bottom lip quivered audibly through a snagging breath-- “Hehtzzchuhh!” he buckled with a sneeze aimed toward his chest, but absolutely caught Lor’s arm in its misty release. Alexander tried to sit up, but could only sneeze himself back down after just one gulping hitch. “haHH’dzzzschoo!”

Another sneeze was nearly there when Lor sat up himself, setting one hand on Alexander’s back while the other was held out in case he needed to stabilize himself somehow. Lor wasn’t the strongest guy alive, but he wanted to at least try to keep Alexander steady. As if by reflex, Alexander desperately took Lor’s proffered hand before squeezing it just a bit tighter as that third sneeze finally tumbled out of him without mercy. “Hhh!hadtszchhoo!” 

His nose was a wreck. Dripping mercilessly into his lap and twitching still. Alexander was barely able to keep himself sitting, much less notice said wreck. Lor was about to try to find that handkerchief for Alexander before his friend took in a heady, high-pitched gasp that sent him wrenching with another uncovered sneeze---”ahdt’ZZssshuh!”-- that...well. Did, to his credit, completely rid himself of that steady drip from his nose. Seemed like Alexander had sneezed the remnants away for the moment. “S--hih! Sorry,” Alexander breathed, expression still a tickled snarl. “Sorry. Fuck, sddFF, ugh…”

“Bless you,” Lor said, giving his hand one slow rub where it sat on Alexander’s back. Alexander shivered immediately and leaned back into the touch. He opened his eyes blearily in Lor’s direction. 

“Thank you,” Alexander breathed...

...Just as Emmaline came out onto the deck. “Oh, you two come in!” she called, robe wrapped tight around her. “I didn’t even know you were out here! I was just about to go to bed, but I saw your rooms were empty. You’ll freeze out here, silly boys! Alexander, you’re already sneezing yourself straight into bed.”

Whose bed? was Lor’s only thought. 

Alexander sniffled desperately, finding his handkerchief and drawing it to his nose. “Right, Emmaline! We were just about to head in!” he called with a voice perfectly practiced in the art of assuring others that he was completely fine. His voice was congested, sure, but just as convincing as ever. “You head to sleep, by all means! We’ll see you in the morning!”

Lor could see her pout from this distance, but Emmaline eventually nodded and stepped back inside. “Alright, my loves. Rest well!” 

“Y-You, too!” Lor was finally able to call out. He didn’t manage to breathe until Emmaline had closed the sliding glass door and disappeared back down the hallway. Only then did Lor let out a shaky exhale. Fuck, what had he been doing? He was dumb, he was so dumb for being so ridiculous, and…

“Thank you....” 

Thank you? 

“For, sddfff!...h-helping me sneeze…” Alexander said in the flirtiest little hum as he nestled his nose against Lor’s shoulder. The tip rubbed slowly back and forth against the fabric of Lor’s fluffy turtleneck. Alexander’s nostrils twitched in response. “You know how I’ll, sdff, be sneezing a while yet...I won’t keep you up, will I?” 

Lor had his hand on Alexander’s waist before the gnorc could even finish that question.

 “Can you?” 

They were scurrying for the deck without another word. 

[laqualassiel]

Trying to decide in the Spark!Ardyn au where Ardyn goes after getting Blessed by Ifrit, because there’s no way on the Pyre he’s sticking around in Niflheim now that he knows Besithia is insane enough to try daemonifying an Astral.

Now the only question is: where does he go?

There’s Tenebrae, the closest and easiest to reach when Ardyn has no identification or money and hardly any knowledge of the modern world. Get Tenebrae world building and politics, stuff on the Oracle family, and eventual interactions with a younger Sylva, who might not even be the Oracle yet depending how old Sylva’s mom is. The threat of Niflheim discovering Ardyn (again) is highest in Tenebrae, given Tenebrae’s proximity and vassalage. The people of Tenebrae would likely be more religious than other countries, so we can build on the established Cosmogony and how that ties into the official religious doctrine. Ardyn’s grief for Aera would be more raw here, with Aera’s family as constant reminders. There’s also the possible conflict of the Oracles potentially knowing about Ardyn’s new Blessing, and if Bahamut had made known to the Oracles of his mandate that no other Blessings are permitted, that could put the Oracles in a position of having to choose between Ardyn and the will of the gods (or at least the only one whose actually awake). Depending on how far the canon historical timeline gets yeeted, Ardyn would be present when Noctis is brought to Tenebrae for healing and would promptly derail Niflheim’s whole invasion.

Next closest location is Accordo. Harder to get to because of the necessity of traveling by boat, but it is part of the Empire so there’s less travel restrictions to worry about there. Here we’d get Altissia world building and politics, meeting young Claudia Claustra and her movement to free Accordo from Imperial rule. No daemons in Accordo, so Ardyn’s magic would stay under the radar longer, and therefore less risk of Niflheim and Besithia finding him. Ardyn would integrate more into city life here, rather than living as a hermit. Dunno what Ardyn would do to make a living, but he’d pick up some sort of quiet career. In addition to meeting young Claudia, we’d eventually meet Prince Regis and his Retinue when they come to Altissia and get tangled in the politics there. There’s also the chance of Leviathan waking up and being Not Pleased to find the former Accursed and now one of Ifrit’s Sparks living on her front lawn. In this location Ardyn would probably get involved with Claudia’s underground resistance movement, and would probably interact quite a bit with Weskham after he stays in Altissia.

There’s Galahd, which has less world building needed (bless @secret-engima) but I could play around with the Clan politics of the time and their oaths to the Crown. Galahd would fold Ardyn in no problem, and without havens and only a scattering of temples Ardyn would put his magic to use the quickest of all locations. He’d be safest from Niflheim here, and pretty safe from Mors sending assassins too. Dig deeper into the differences between Galahdian religion and the official doctrine. Meet some of the baby glaives. Meet Prince Regis when he comes to Galahd briefly. Help fight the Niflheim occupying forces after Mors pulls the wall, which adds the risk of discovery from Niflheim.

Lastly, we’ve got Lucis. Farthest from Niflheim and hardest to get to, but the easiest to disappear in the Lucian Outlands. Would probably set up shop as the og ‘Witch’ of Malmalam Thicket, and meet young Kimya when she shows up demanding to learn from him. Highest threat from Mors’ assassins. Would likely meet Regis and co at least once. Offers the chance for Ardyn to rescue Cor from the Tempering Grounds, including a long overdue meeting between Ardyn and Gilgamesh. After Mors pulls the Wall, would have the threat from Niflheim’s invading forces. Ardyn would be more involved with the Hunters in this, if only tangentially, and might have more interactions with Cid and Cor as time goes on. Of course, being in Lucis means he’s faced with reminders of his brother’s family, and could even make the pilgrimage to Somnus’ tomb if he’s feeling particularly self-destructive.

So, any thoughts or ideas on where Ardyn ends up after running from Niflheim?

[odinsblog]

These two stories are not unrelated.

Under the misleadership of Elon Musk, Twitter has officially declared itself as a major platform of disinformation, misinformation, and irresponsibility, with no responsibility or desire to reign in lies, hate speech or Nazism.

And he has turned Twitter into a haven for hate speech, Nazis and crackpot conspiracy theorists.

Musk has repeatedly subtweeted and retweeted known white supremacists, so let’s dispense with the flimsy excuses that his latest retweet of pedophile and known neo-Nazi, Kevin Alfred Strom, was somehow an “accident.”

We have an election coming up next year, and Musk has abandoned any semblance of truth and is intentionally sabotaging one of the biggest social media platforms on earth. How many more times does Elon get to “accidentally” retweet racists and Nazis before people stop calling it an honest mistake??

The wealthy white nationalist from South Africa is purchasing GOP legislators in Florida, and using Twitter to back a racist Republican candidate for president, while constantly retweeting & signal boosting white nationalists from around the globe.

And Musk has been using Twitter to dabble in the elections of other countries - on the side of authoritarians. (source)

I’ve also seen “Nazis in Ukraine” and various pro-Russian, anti-NATO hashtags trend at least three times this week alone. I refuse to believe that Musk isn’t manipulating the algorithm to boost those anti-Ukrainian trends, which again, always seem to “coincidentally” favor authoritarians. Musk has been caught manipulating the algorithms to boost his own tweets before (not to mention, he’s also used Twitter to manipulate financial markets), and the U.S. presidential candidate he is supporting has flatly said he would stop helping Ukraine should he become president.

SN: Look, I may or may not be the most up to date person on authoritarians and elections in other countries, but when Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and the GOP all seem to prefer Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, that pretty much tells me practically everything I need to know about which side is the wrong side. Twitter is being flooded with homophobic, pro-authoritarian troll bots & racist right wing spammers - you cannot convince me that this isn’t happening without Musk’s explicit blessings.

Didn’t we already see what happens in 2016 when Robert Mercer used Facebook algorithms to mess with elections in the U.K. and in the U.S.??

What are they waiting for?

What are we waiting for?

Brexit 2.0??

The next Trump?

The only real question remaining is, how long will it take before governments and media outlets begin calling out Musk’s thinly veiled dog whistles for what they are? When will journalists call a white nationalist a white nationalist?

Musk is, objectively speaking, a very bad person, and definitely not a “free speech” altruist. Musk is a megalomaniac with the ability to continually force his narrative onto key media markets, and with a virtually unlimited supply of capital. Rupert Murdoch ain’t got nothing on Musk.

Elon Musk isn’t simply a racist and a white nationalist—with his vast wealth, political influence and control of a global social media platform, he is an unelected unaccountable existential threat to global democracy.

He needs to be called out every single time, and ultimately he needs to be held accountable.

[master-k0hga]

| A S I M |

[ Category: The Promised Land ]

| Looooook it's Asim I mentioned from another recently posted post... (If anybody actually looked at said post anyways...)

Anyways, this is the one who took in Caligo roughly after they escaped their former home.. Asim would then take care of them, tend to their wounds while also slowly and gradually intriducing them to the small survivor group.. Thus eventually adopting them officially, he and Caligo would spend time regularly since then til at one point Asim starts having feelings for them..

It seemed like fate had brought them together when Caligo would soon after return the feelings, they've been inseparable since... Even more when they eventually have a kid together after having the small group's traditional wedding ceremony (to which I would absolutely love to get into slightly further detail another time). Anyways, enough about their relationship, let's talk more about Asim as a character:

Asim's small tribe consists of beings with very similiar attributes to faes, they can be very benevolent, selfless and magical beings... Well, Asim is magical because his own people actually considered him a sort of "beacon of hope" to them, he will eventually take over the group when the elder passes on... But in the meantime, he is his best second in command and very trustworthy friend! His tribe mainly venture in these realms and take refuge in abandoned yet sturdy structures, sometimes in the gutters and sewers of towns and kingdoms, or even sneak themselves into small crevices or unused rooms/basements of people's homes! (Whether they are known to the home owners or not is another question of course) They scavenge, collect and pick up what they can eat or use as bedding or protection, that's why having someone who acknowledges and embraces their magical background, like Asim, is actually a blessing! He can cook with even just small fires, brew the most effective and soothing potions and other medicines while also giving his family the desires they yearn for; Nobody is ungrateful about it either, so it's a nice change of pace for once...

Of course they do have a set home somewhere but I'll get to that in a bit.

Anyways:

Name: Asim

Height: 8ft "6"

Species: Fae

Extra:

The Fae civilization Asim is born into is not entirely like the Fae we are completely familiar with on Folklore, in fact they are a lot more similar to humans and other races from within the Promised Land! Dealing with daily struggles, surviving and living like everyone else; However the spiritual and deep connection to nature along with being able to listen and speak to it is also present.. They mostly use it to their advantage with defence, everyday appliances and tools and whatnot. Although of what Asim is part of is mainly morally good and keep to themselves to keep their own safe, they of course do have the few mischievous lot who tend to enjoy messing with outsiders or intruders in their small permanent/temporary safe havens.

In fact they do have their own haven! It's deep within a "mythical" forest within the strange lands full to the brim with lush forestation, beautiful natural lights and rich fruits and veg; Reasons why the majority of the Fae leave the forest and find other locations and places to hide/ survive and so forth because so it doesn't raise suspicion from evil leaders and others who will cause ill and harm upon the sacred forest, so the majority move and split into sectors around the lands to find homes in other ways. Asim's group being mostly finding refuge or hiding in places like old cabins, empty rooms of lone homes despite is people live in them still or not and so on.. The Fae has had historical issues with the Vermin and the Palace of Gold in the past due to previous leaders trying to either take over, steal all resources and such from within or enslaving the Fae for their capabilities of their "chosen ones" being able to use and manage magic.

Of course with that being in the past now and civilizations somewhat leaving them alone now, things have all quietened for generations... With the exception of the Lord of the Deceitful who, not only wishes to take over as King on the Golden Palace (the biggest and richest kingdom of the lands), but also to be able to claim powerful magics and abilities as much as possible so he can claim the Promised Land as his own... So in a sense, Asim being able to deal with and work very well with magic as the Fae's of this generations "chosen one" and potentially being the best and strongest one yet, he will nee to take major precautions so that never happens.

But beside that, he's a great cook, he's also very good at sculpting either with clay he collects himself or with perfect woodwork, and his voice is very soothing.. He would regularly use it for Caligo when he brought them to his group as they would deal with severe panic attacks from trauma.... It worked like a charm, safe to say that's one of the reasons why they ended up falling in love.

The features of Fae's are very interesting and kinda cute; Their eyes tend to vary with colours, of course mostly ranging with pastel colours while their pupils are purple. Asim is also blind in his left eye due to an infection that he never got to treating in time, he tends to cover that up because of his insecurity. Fae also have rather thick pink lashes, kinda like butterfly antennas, their eyes literally flutter and they do look beautiful. Another obvious feature is their pink tipped ears, also being very expressive them as they wiggle when happy or content and droop when upset.. The only thing that's unknown about this race is if they have wings or wing-like appendages at all, to which most rumours support that they do not but potentially glowing pink wing like markings on their backs, in fact pink glowing markings seem to almost cover their entire bodies as they also vary in shapes too.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Now I just need to focus on their kid, who it's obviously Karmen.. She's not entirely difficult herself seeing as the features of both Caligo and Asim will also be present on her, but obviously I'll be drawing her when she's 17 (just like her Yiga counterpart of course so no different there), Caligo of course having her rather young so yeah...

Trying to do math with age differences is annoying as fuck and honestly I don't understand how people can do this, making the information work without either getting confused or having to correct themselves/ be corrected when the math is wrong..

Oh well.. A lot of this probably doesn't make any sense anyways so who tf even reads this I guess....

. Asim, Art © Me . DON’T RE-POST .

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Benedictions 4:11

Here’s the next part, which takes place immediately after Andraste 1:1.  Ava wakes up in Haven and is faced with a critical decision.  We also see more of both Beatrice and her Friend, so get hype.

I’ve posted this story officially on AO3 now too, so check it out: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45396868/chapters/114217051

You wake up in a bed.  A real bed, not like the cot you had in your cell.  This one actually has sheets and stuff.  You’re inside of… somewhere, some building.  Four walls, and a roof too, not too shabby.  It’s warm, with several lit torches in sconces around the room, although a chilly breeze creeps in through a small open window.  There is a table in one corner of the room, littered with vials, herbs, and disorganized bits of paper; an alchemist’s station.

Someone has dressed you in clean clothes.  Disconcerting, but not unappreciated.  The shirt is dark blue and soft, and the pants are thick and warm.  They even gave you new socks, which is incredible because you had to make one pair of socks last for a decade in Aeonar, no small feat (heh, feat) even for someone with busted legs.

The Mark on your hand is inert, and you are alone.  Or rather, there aren’t any people here with you right now.  You aren’t alone.  Your Friend is here.  Her soothing warmth rests steadily against your back.  She feels a little different though, a little closer.  You wave your hand back and forth and watch it.  Soft, almost invisible golden light emanates from your skin, leaving a trail in the air as you move.

“Are you… with me?” You ask, unsure how to articulate what you mean.  But She understands, as always, and a gentle thrum echoes in your head.  Yes.

You smile, immeasurably relieved, but your peaceful moment is broken by the creaking of a door.  It’s the door to… wherever you are right now, and bright sunlight streams in, obscuring the face of the person walking inside.

After a moment, you realize that it’s an elf girl carrying a box.  When she notices you awake and watching her, she promptly drops it.  It crashes to the floor with the sound of glass or perhaps plates breaking inside.  “Oh!” She exclaims, out of surprise or fear, you aren’t sure.  “I-I didn’t know you were awake, I swear!”

“Hold up,” you say, raising your hands in a calming gesture.  “Why are you frightened?  What happened?”

In response, she wrings her hands together nervously.  “That’s wrong,” she says sheepishly.  “I said the wrong thing, didn’t I?”

“Um, I don’t… think so.”  Your brow furrows low.  This conversation is really weird.

Weirder still, and quite alarming actually, she falls to her hands and knees in front of you, prostrating herself as one would before an altar.  “Please, my lady!  I beg your forgiveness and your blessing.  I am but a humble servant!”

“Whoa!  Uh, please get up.  Please,” you say, frantically gesturing for her to stand.  “I’m not angry, if that’s what you’re worried about.  I’m just surprised.  There’s no need to… do that.”  You wave vaguely at the floor where she’s kneeling.

“Apologies, my lady,” the girl says while getting up, still too meekly for your comfort.  “Oh, I should go!  Mother Superion said to let her know when you woke up.  ‘At once!’ she said.”

“W-wait, you don’t have to—” But she’s already gone, practically sprinting out the door.  You stare at the world outside as it slowly swings shut, puffing out a breath.  The day is not off to a great start.

It doesn’t improve when, less than five minutes later, the door swings open again, and now two people are standing in it.

“Looks like the elf was right,” an irritatingly familiar voice says.  You resist the urge to groan.  The new pair step into the room and shut the door, revealing themselves.  Lilith, ugh, and Beatrice.  They both look at you like you’re a puzzle they’re trying to solve, but with Lilith, it’s a hard look, an accusatory look.  With Beatrice… you don’t really know.  Curious, yes, and focused, but cautious as well, like she’s analyzing some kind of problem.  “This won’t make things any easier,” Lilith continues, crossing her arms (a pose she seems to favor).

“What are you talking about?” You ask, shifting backwards, away from them.  If they note the movement, they don’t acknowledge it.

“You’re possessed,” Lilith says bluntly.

“Huh?”  You blink.

She rolls her eyes.  “There’s a demon inside you, idiot.”

You stare at her in complete confusion.  “Uh, no, there isn’t.”

“There is a demon here,” Beatrice cuts in before Lilith can retort.  “We could sense it from outside.”  She looks at you carefully, as if trying to read your mind or gauge your mood.  “And it, well… it seems to have latched onto you.  Bonded with you in some way.”

“Oh,” you realize, putting the pieces together.  “You mean my Friend.”

“Your friend?” Lilith repeats, gaping incredulously.  “Maker preserve us!”

“Lilith, I’ll handle this, alright?” Beatrice says smoothly.  “Go let the others know she’s awake, please.  We sent Marabel away before she could.”

“You think I’m going to leave you alone with an abomination?  Fuck that!”

“I’m not an abomination!” You deny furiously, scrambling out of bed to get to your feet.  Your Friend stands firm against your back, stalwart, making you feel brave.

“You damn well are!"  Lilith snarls, drawing her sword in a flash, but Beatrice stops her, locking her hand in place and staring her down.

“Lilith, I mean it, go,” she insists, brooking no argument.  “I’ll be fine.  She won’t hurt me.”

“I’m the one liable to get hurt here,” you mutter darkly, eyes trained on the weapon, earning a disgusted glare and a sigh respectively from the two women.  No guesses who.

"You can't trust her, Beatrice," Lilith tries to protest, speaking less harshly and more beseeching.  "Those things know how to manipulate people, how to hide until they can strike.  She’s too dangerous."

"She's not in any state to strike at me, Lilith," Beatrice asserts with that familiar confidence.  "She doesn't even have a staff."

The two of them stare at each other for a long moment, having a silent conversation you have no chance of deciphering.  Finally, Lilith’s shoulders slump, and she huffs unhappily.  “Fine, but if you’re not at the Chantry in 10 minutes, I’m coming back with a battalion.  That’s a promise,” she says, directing the last part at you.

“Noted,” Beatrice says coolly.  “Now go, we’ll see you shortly.”

After sending you one last disdainful look, Lilith turns and storms out, leaving you alone with Beatrice.  You immediately feel some of the tension leave your shoulders, and you think you see the same in hers.

“I’m not an abomination,” you repeat more quietly, once she turns to face you.

“I don’t know if there’s another word for what this is,” she contests gently.

“I’m not,” you insist.  “She’s not a demon, She’s a spirit, and She’s my Friend.”  You touch your chest in the spot where Francis stabbed you, where She held your hand over the wound.  “She’s the only one who’s ever stood by me.  She saved me,” you plead.  Your hand feels warm and it glows, just a little bit, showing that She’s there, holding you as before.  Beatrice observes this in mild alarm.  You don’t want that.  You don’t want her to look at you like that, like you’re a potential threat, like you’re a problem to solve.  It’s too close to how people have looked at you your entire life, and even though you’ve only just met, you don’t want Beatrice to look at you that way.

“What did she save you from?”

“Death,” you say plainly.  Elaborating on that is difficult, the words get stuck in your throat, but you push them out with effort, wanting her to understand.  “I was dying before I came out of that Rift.  In fact, I think I was dead,” you say, feeling cold despite the warmth of the room.

Beatrice looks more alarmed by this, but out of concern.  She steps closer to you, her pretty eyes giving you a careful once-over.

“That… specter,” she starts.  “In the vision at the Temple.  It called you a revenant.  It asked what great spirit loved you enough to bring you back from death.”

You nod fervently.  “Yes!  It was talking about my Friend.  She saved me!  I don’t know how, but She did.”

Beatrice’s brow furrows, and she seems to bite her cheek thoughtfully.  “Perhaps she bonded with you somehow, to save your life?  There have been cases in the past, spirit healers summoning spirits for extended periods to keep them alive, but those bonds are usually temporary.”   You remember, distantly, that Senior Enchanter Wynne was a spirit healer, and you think you remember her saying that you had the same potential.  Which would be cool.  But still, this doesn’t feel temporary.  She’s not just present, like She has been in the past.  She’s with you, in a persistent, tangible way.  She doesn’t control you.  Even the thought seems to make Her recoil.  She’s just… with you.  There’s no other way to describe it.

You tell Beatrice so.  “I don’t think it’s temporary.  She’s here, and I think She’s here to stay.  But She’s not possessing me,” you emphasize.  “She’s not controlling me at all.”

Beatrice exhales, biting her lip.  “I don’t know.  I admit I’m not the expert on spirits here.  Solas may know more,” she concedes uncertainly.  “But still, we should be careful.  For all our sakes, and yours,” she says sincerely.

“Seems like I’m the one who has to be careful, with people like that Templar stalking around,” you grumble, unable to contain it.

Beatrice sighs.  “That’s Lilith.  She is a Seeker of Truth, in point of fact, not a Templar.”

“Same difference, from where I’m standing.”

She gives you a quelling look that is… more than a little hot.  You file that away for later.  “Lilith is just concerned.  She’s very protective of us.”  The fact that this us doesn’t include you is left unsaid.  “And unfortunately, she will make good on her promise to bring a battery of soldiers here if we don’t get a move on.”

“Where are we going?”

“To Haven’s Chantry.  It’s not far.”

“Is that where we are right now?  Haven?”

Beatrice nods.  “After you sealed the Breach, you passed out.  We called a retreat and brought you back here.”  She pauses.  “You were unconscious for three days.  We weren’t sure what was happening, if you were just exhausted or if something more sinister was going on.  Strange things kept happening.  At one point, you even started floating, levitating off the bed.  But the Mark’s growth had stopped, your life signs were strong, and we haven’t detected any malevolent influences or magic in the vicinity.  Adan watched over you, along with Solas and I.”  You don’t know who Adan is, but hearing that Beatrice was watching over you while you slept makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Thank you for doing that,” you say, smiling sincerely at her.

She looks away, her cheeks turning light pink in the light of the torches.  “Of course.  Ahem, you’re welcome.  And… I’m glad that you’re alright.  Truly.”

“Me too!  So where’s this Chantry, eh?  Better have food.  I think I literally haven’t eaten in days,” you quip brightly, trying to lighten the mood.  You think it works when you see her lips quirk up in a tiny smile.

She leads you out of the little building, a cabin you now realize, and the sight that greets the two of you upon exiting is disturbing.  A large crowd of people lines the path leading into Haven.  They are a mix of soldiers, civilians, and Chantry members, and all of them are staring at you, standing ramrod straight, with their hands closed in fists over their hearts.

“What is this?” You ask Beatrice, stopping in your tracks.

She sighs again.  “Don’t pay any mind to them,” she advises softly.  “They’re mainly happy to see you well.”

“Mainly?” You squeak, eyes darting from one over-eager face to another.

“Three days is a long time in the rumor mill,” Beatrice elaborates.  “After word got out of your success at the Breach, people were bound to start talking.  It’s just idle chatter.”  Something about the way she says “idle chatter” makes it hard for you to believe her.

After a moment’s hesitation, she rests a hand on your shoulder, as she did to steady you during the battle.  “Come on.  We’ll just walk quickly, alright?”

“Okay,” you concede without a shred of conviction, but she rewards you with a grin before taking the lead.

As you make your way past them, their eyes follow you.  There’s too many of them to ascertain a singular mood for the crowd, but what’s worse is that you can hear them whispering to each other as you pass.

“That’s her,” someone says, sounding awed.  “The Herald of Andraste.”

“They said when she came out of the Rift, Andraste herself was watching over her…”

“Ignore them,” Beatrice reinforces quietly, pulling you away and up the path toward the village proper.

On closer inspection, Haven seems to be less a town and more a collection of tents.  Perhaps that’s a consequence of the war, or the Breach.  Or maybe there is more to it that you can’t see from here, houses tucked into the thick trees you glimpse beyond the walls.

You don’t really remember your old house, the tiny one you lived in with your mother.  You know that it was somewhere near Redcliffe, but not part of the town itself.  You remember that your mother never took you to town with her, always saying you had to stay home and guard the castle against invaders, a funny little game to keep you distracted while she was gone.  You wonder if she knew then that you had magic, and if she was hiding you away from the eyes of the Templars.

You catch more people whispering about you as you ascend the stairs.  “That’s her.  She’s the one who stopped the Breach from growing,” says one woman with a basket to another.

“I heard she was supposed to close it entirely,” the other responds, a note of resentment in her words.

“Wait, so the Breach didn’t close?” You ask, walking apace with Beatrice.

She shakes her head.  “No, not entirely.  But it is sealed for the moment, and that’s what matters.  We’ve been discussing our next steps while you’ve been recovering.  The others are waiting in the Chantry to fill you in.  We’re almost there.”

There’s no food in the Chantry, to your immense disappointment, only more people gawking at you and talking like they really think you can’t hear them.  The interior is dimly lit, illuminated by clusters of candles scattered throughout a large entry chamber.  A vestibule, you think it’s called.  A profoundly unnecessary word.  Beatrice directs you to a small door at the very back of the chamber, and as you approach, you hear familiar voices inside.

“Have you gone completely mad?” You recognize Duretti from his accent, but more from his unshakable pompousness.  “She should be taken to Val Royeaux to be tried by whoever becomes Divine!”

“I do not believe she is guilty,” Mother Superion, to your shock, calmly asserts.

“You were the one who arrested and interrogated her, Suzanne!” Duretti protests, his incredulity echoing off the walls.

“And my findings from that interrogation, combined with the conduct that I and several others witnessed at the Breach, lead me to believe in her innocence.”

“And if the new Divine demands her head?”

“Then I will speak to Her personally to resolve the misunderstanding,” Superion responds, casual as anything.  Something inside your chest warms at her words, at how unruffled and certain she sounds.

Beatrice squeezes your arm, smiling at you again, before stepping up and pushing the door open.

Duretti starts scowling the moment you step inside.  “Chain her,” he commands the guards at the door.  “I want her prepared for travel to Val Royeaux immediately.”

“Disregard that, and leave us,” Mother Superion counters from where she stands behind a large table strewn with books and used mugs; clearly the site of many long discussions and arguments over the past three days.  Lilith sulks in one corner of the room, her steely eyes cataloging your every twitch.  The buff warrior, Dora, is also present, standing quietly, watching proceedings with her hands tucked neatly behind her back.  The soldiers obey Mother Superion, exiting promptly and letting the door swing decisively shut behind them.

Duretti sighs, sounding tired.  “You walk a dangerous line, Suzanne.  I fear to see where it ends.”

“You see it as a line, but I see it as firm ground, Francesco.  The same ground where I have always stood, in the Maker’s guidance,” Superion declares, a touch more softly than before.  You glance between them surreptitiously.  There’s definitely some kind of history there, but you aren’t about to ask in present company.  “The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat,” she continues.  “I will not ignore it.”

One thing does bother you enough to make you speak up, however.  “I’m still a suspect?  Even after what we just did?”

“You absolutely are,” Duretti growls.

“No, you are not,” Superion denies instantly.  “Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave, that is certain.  And it was someone Most Holy did not expect.  It’s possible they died with the others, or they may have allies who yet live.  There are still many potential suspects to consider.”

“But not the prisoner?”

“I heard the voices in the Temple,” Superion states, her conviction unwavering.  “The Divine called to her for help.”

“So her survival?” Duretti questions skeptically.  “That thing on her hand?  All a coincidence?”

“Providence,” Superion asserts.  “The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.”

You grimace.  That statement, the whispers of the villagers, the staring… it’s all starting to make your skin itch terribly, and you are unable to stay silent.  “Hold on, please tell me you don’t think I’m some kind of ‘chosen one’.  …You remember that I’m a mage, right?  Not exactly the image of a holy champion.”

Again, from the corner of your eye, you see Beatrice fidget uncomfortably, and you remember that she’s genuinely devout.  Oh shit, that probably sounded really insulting to her, you implying that mages couldn’t be chosen by the Maker.  Even if you believe it, even if you don’t believe in the Maker at all, you find that you don’t want to discourage her like that.

“I have not forgotten,” Superion says before you can apologize.  “No matter what you are, or what you believe, you are exactly what we needed when we needed it.  Such is the Maker’s will.”  She takes a steadying breath before continuing.  “The Breach remains, and your Mark is our only hope of closing it for good.”

“That is not for you to decide, Suzanne!”  Duretti insists hotly, to which Superion turns, fetches a large book off the seat of a chair, and slams it down on the table, making you jump at the impact.

“Do you know what that is, Francesco?”  She asks primly, as it’s obvious he doesn’t.  “A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act.  As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.”  That declaration, whatever it means, settles like a weight on the entire room.  “We will close the Breach, find those responsible, and we will restore order.  With or without your approval.”

Duretti just shakes his head.  “You damn yourselves.  I only pray that you do not doom the rest of us to the same fate.”  Without another word, he leaves, stalking out of the room.

Superion sighs.  To the rest of you, she repeats, “This is Divine Justinia’s directive, to rebuild the Inquisition of old.”

“But we aren’t ready,” Dora points out, stepping forward.  “We have no leader.  We have no numbers.  And now, we don’t even have Chantry support.”

“Be that as it may, we have no choice.  We must act,” Superion responds simply.  Then, she looks at you, her hawk-like gaze steadfast.  “With you at our side.”

They’re all fucking staring at you again, ‘Draste’s tits.  You shift anxiously from foot to foot, glancing at them all quickly before looking at Mother Superion again.  “And… if I… were to refuse?”

Lilith scoffs.  “If you think you have a choice, you’re even dumber than I thought.”

“Lilith,” Superion chides without looking at her.  “You are free to go, Ava, but I would not advise it.  The Breach may no longer be growing, but your Mark is still a mystery that could prove dangerous,” she says reasonably.  “Additionally, as you have seen, there are some who still believe that you are guilty.  We can protect you here, but not if you leave.  It will not be easy to stay,” she admits.  “But you cannot deny that this experience has already changed you.  I also know that you have not seen the best of us thus far.  I will not apologize, as the situation was dire, but I do ask that you allow us the time to make the best of it.”

She means it, you realize.  She really does.  Although the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of Andrastian fanatics makes you wildly uncomfortable and worried for yourself and others outside of Haven, you can’t deny the points she’s making nor the sincerity with which she expresses them.

You glance around at the rest of them again.  Lilith looks deeply unhappy, but she doesn’t try to protest further.  Dora’s expression is more neutral, but she does nod at you in what you think is an encouraging fashion.  Beatrice’s expression is passionately, profoundly hopeful.  You wonder if she realizes just how expressive her eyes are when she’s like this.  Probably not, you imagine.  She’d be much too dangerous if she knew.

“Okay…” You tell Mother Superion, though the uncertainty is still evident in your tone and bearing.  “I’ll stay.  Let’s see where this goes.”  Your Friend is at your back, gently supporting you, making you feel better about what you’ve just done.

Superion’s lips quirk upward ever so slightly.  “That is all we ask.”

[thatringboy]

I know that Flowers, Sounds & Stones’ finale is probably taking up a lot of your time, but do you have any plans for what to write when it’s over?

I really appreciate you Anon because it is 😅 My longest running fic is slowly coming to an end and I’m not ready for the finale to be over 😭

But I do have other projects I’ll be working on!

I’ve currently got on Ao3:

A Son of Batter and Dough, Prince!Red Velvet fic for Cookie Run:Kingdom

By Storm Or Fire, Heroes of Olympus in the Grishaverse

The Contract, a Genshin Impact fic where the Traveler and some friends decide to travel with Dainsleif (I’ve got a friend making art for this one!)

In the Light of the Phlegethon, a Hades game and Percy Jackson crossover

Three Cheers for Throwing Up, a RWBY fic where Yang goes to Haven while Ruby heals an amputated arm

Blue Moon, Book One: Ocean, an Avatar: The Last Airbender fic where Aang never got incased in ice and Yue is the current Avatar

War with Eternity, a darker Genshin Impact fic where Aether lost the duel to Signora

Eye for an Eye, a Genshin Impact fic where Diluc died against Ursa the Drake instead of Crepus

Four Classmates, a My Hero Academia fic where Aizawa actually did expel almost the entire class

But I also have in the WIP folder:

Behind the Eyes, a Heaven Official’s Blessing fic where Xie Lian finds himself in the modern world against his will

A sequel to my 23k Genshin Impact Kavaitham whump oneshot Scarlet Sands and Crimson Eyes that explores Alhaitham’s healing process and recovery while also treading lightly into this new relationship he has with his roommate

A Heaven Official’s Blessing and Percy Jackson crossover where Xie Lian is a Roman legacy of Saturn and ex-Centurion of New Rome while Hua Cheng is a rouge son of Nemesis trying to protect his old commanding officer

A Genshin Impact fic where Kaeya runs away from Mondstat to Watatsumi Island after having another Abyssal magic pain

A Percy Jackson Cheerleader/Jock AU where Percy is the captain of the cheer squad that agrees to help Annabeth gain financial supporting for her brand new lacrosse team

Now, that seems like a LOT of WIPs and I agree!! It is!! And there are also a lot of fics on my Ao3 that just aren’t ever getting updated for one reason or another 🤷‍♂️

My plan is: to finish Flowers, Sounds & Stones before Christmas, take a break from writing until the New Years, celebrate my birthday, and pick one of these projects to start the hyperfixiation over again

maybe I’ll even work on my original book?

Nah, never gonna happen.

So yeah! I can’t wait to see what I work on next!

[manxden]

Hi there, sorry for making you all wait! Here’s the next chapter of my giftfic done for my fellow Zelink-crazy Sidon-fangirlling friend, @alkturos ! We both participated in Hateno Hideout’s (on Discord) Midna’s Merry Mixup Gift Exchange.

So without further ado, here’s more luxuriously self-indulgent Masseur!Link AU ZeLink!

Summary: Zelda shows up to her massage appointment a little worse for wear; public relations is not without its pitfalls, and Link takes pity on his attractive customer.

————— Hold My Hand on AO3 (Chapter 2) ——————

Chapter 2 preview

Zelda’s next appointment brought her to the plush sofa of Link’s waiting area of the office feeling like a pestered mess.

In common Hylian one might say she was bedraggled, with strands of hair escaping her carefully-pinned updo and her suit jacket was fastened with the buttons misaligned. The morning had started well enough with greeting students and speaking for the opening of a new school bearing her sister’s name, but the ‘simple’ brunch appointment planned at midday was simply a disaster.

The small locale has been flooded with well-to-do’s oohing and aahing over quaint, but boring modern art, and their harried waitstaff were quickly embroiled in a defensive battle to preserve a woefully underestimated supply of canapes. Zelda had managed to snatch just three in a crowd of bourgeois who were preoccupied with banal details about the artists on display.

Officially the meeting her secretary had first agreed to was to be a small interview with two of the up-and-coming families of the city, but the situation had evidently escalated out of hand. Zelda had several hard words under her breath while escaping with her guards helping her down the stairwell with a bad stain on her clothes and a broken shoe; she could text the secretary to blacklist those contacts later on.

It wasn’t unheard of for unscrupulous folk to try and use the royal family as an opportunity for social climbing and upwards mobility - the rush to prepare for Karane’s coronation must have given them the perfect opportunity to slip in under the radar.

The mess of the morning had left her feeling the worse for wear with a sore ankle, a growling stomach, and a frown to rival Castletown’s winter skies. Much of the city was enveloped in varying levels of fog since the weeks of snow had been broken for a warm front, but with distressingly few moments of sunshine.

Zelda settled onto Link’s couch in the waiting area with a groan of appreciation. It was a little haven of respite for her after the small labyrinth of hallways and the elevator; she slipped off her broken heels within the first two minutes of blessed uninterrupted sitting on the cushy sofa. If she was going to submit her near-naked form to the masseur’s fingers, then she had a fine excuse for slipping off her shoes in his entryway.

He had recently burned lavender incense, the perfume pleasant in the air to match the soft lilts and falls of piano music and violin strings. Zelda couldn't fault the man for his musical choices, and the floral scent had her subconsciously choosing a jasmine tea when her stomach got her to wander barefoot from the couch as she waited. Someone had already absconded with the last of his luxury chocolates, but she could try and sate her guilty belly on an assortment of pretzels and toffees.

Zelda had solidly refused to reschedule when her driver had suggested the idea; her visit to the masseuse was quickly promising to be her one sane moment in a brutally overscheduled week. She could afford to order something greasy, illegally fattening and immoral after her session under the pleasant attentions of her flirty blonde therapist.

——————- Read more on AO3! ————————

[larkstjames]

tw: child abandonment.

surrendered at her local firehouse as a safe-haven baby when she was six days old, lark (then known as helen roberts) grew up bouncing from foster home to foster home. trouble had caught her scent and refused to let up, no matter where she went. money was sparse, and crime always paid well, and her skills in identity theft and forgery gave her the resources she need to get a roof over her head, and clothes on her back. but, all good things have to come to an end, so when helen got in trouble she couldn't fight her way out of, she turned to the fbi for help –– into witness protection she went under the new name 'larkspur st. james'. off they moved her to briar ridge, south carolina, where trouble wouldn't find her. cut to four years later, her trial was over, and the danger passed. but lark had grown to like her new life in briar ridge too much to leave it behind. with the blessing of the fbi, she decided to put her criminal background behind her and officially made the change to become lark st. james. now she lives with her dog, circe, and owns briar ridge's own 'body worship'. lately, she's been fighting the urge to foster; lark doesn't want kids, but the idea of providing one with a home she never had is more than tempting...

full name: larkspur st. james nicknames: lark, jamie age & birthday: thirty-two & august 1st, 1991 preferred pronouns & gender: she/her & cis-female ethnicity: white sexuality: bisexual (no preference) hometown & length of time in town: hartford, connecticut & roughly 6 years neighborhood: downtown occupation: masseuse & owner of body worship faceclaim: brianne howey

★ PINTEREST ★ CONNECTIONS ★ BIOGRAPHY ★

[lockejhaven]

𝟷𝟻 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 / 𝟷𝟻 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜

»»—————————-　𓆩❤︎𓆪　-—————————««

Thanks to @fearofahumanplanet, @tananaphone, and @andromedaexists for the tag!

Are you named after anyone?

Not that I know of.

When was the last time you cried?

Idk, last week maybe?

Do you have kids?

Nope.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Yes, though I use it less than I did in the past!

What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their interests (through presentation/appearance) and neurodivergent traits that I relate to/share with them (through interaction)

What's your eye color?

Blue

Scary movies or happy endings?

Honestly, neither; I like any movie or show that simply tells an engaging story.

Any special talents?

I can read freakishly fast; for reference, I read (and comprehended) 800 pages of Heaven's Official Blessing in roughly two hours. I can also type extremely quickly and without looking at the screen or keyboard, which is something my peers often comment on. (This includes both computer keyboards and iPhone keyboards)

Where were you born?

Same place I've lived since then; New England, USA.

What are your hobbies?

Ohhh dear... this is going to be a long one. Reading, writing, painting, drawing, cross stitch, journaling, watching & analyzing tv/movies, coding & HTML, insect collecting, playing videogames & tabletop games, doing puzzles, listening to music, people watching, psychology studies/research, research on special interests (moths, foxes, plants; an infinite list)

Have any pets?

Two siamese cats!

What sports do you play/have played?

None now, but I did take 2 years of karate, as well as 2 years of horseback riding.

How tall are you?

5'4"

Favorite subject in school?

Math, psychology, cultural sciences

Dream job?

To exist and work on my hobbies. I would prefer not to ruin something I love by doing it to survive, paycheck to paycheck.

»»—————————-　𓆩❤︎𓆪　-—————————««

Leaving this as an open tag for anyone who wishes to do it ❤︎

~ Of Fables & Feathers,

🕊️ Locke J. Haven

[pandapupremade]

pinned

helloooo my name is Chris or Kermit! this is my oc blog and also my oc x canon / self ship blog! my pronouns are he/him or xe/xem if you wanna spice things up. im 23, a trans man and unofficially engaged to @vampking and really if you follow me and enjoy my content, you should follow them too! they help me with almost all of my projects :]

i mostly post about Original Characters and changing fandom fixations that I selfship in or simply enjoy! Right now, things you'll see in particular include Heaven Official's Blessing .

I have a lot of f/os, and I am fine sharing almost all of them! The only exceptions are Bubbles, Matsuyuki and Holst.

BYF / BLACKLIST

ROMANTIC + PLATONIC F/OS

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ME / MY BLOG

Panda Pearl | Panda Pearl Dev Blog (Webcomic)

Seven Players Dev Blog (Horror Visual Novel)

Crop Haven Dev Blog (RPGmaker Farming/Dating Sim)

Youtube Channel (OC Animations, Previews, Etc.)

(N*zi shippers, pr*shippers, etc not welcome.)