#this was really fun to write tbh....

[vela-pulsars]

not enough stonjourner art out there

[sinnabee]

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups evil boredom

3 teaspoons (heaping) blorbo poison (powder, not liquid)

1 daycare theme (10 hour loop)

1/3 cup brainrot

*1/2 cup distilled back pain

**(un)diagnosed mental illness

*(any kind of pain works, back pain is usually what i have on hand)

**(if you aren’t a fan of the flavor a diagnosis leaves, undiagnosed will work in a pinch! Personally, I like to add a bit of both.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, turn on the daycare theme (10 hour loop) and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together your evil boredom and blorbo poison in a medium sized bowl.

Add in your pain of choice and mix well.

Once thoroughly mixed, it should be looking a little thicker. Some granules from the evil boredom and blorbo poison are fine. (You can always mix further, if you’re worried about it affecting the texture.)

Add your brainrot and beat with a whisk until it’s looking lighter, a little fluffy. (If you aren’t in the mood for fluff, a dash of angst or hurt/comfort can help tone it down. An AU if you really wanna spice it up.)

Realize this is turning out a lot better than you thought it would. Dang. Well, you’re certainly committed now.

Go ahead and get out a glass baking pan. Coat the bottom with non-stick spray. (I tend to favor Y/N brand Nonbinary Spray myself)

Using a baking spatula (one of the rubbery bendy ones), carefully move your mixture from the bowl to the pan. It’s alright if you get some on the sides, the heat should help it settle once it’s in the oven. To get out any air bubbles, tap the pan (carefully!) a few times on the counter.

Place the pan in the oven and set a timer for 15-25 minutes, or take a peek every now and then and see if it’s the right shade of cheerful.

Congratulations!!! You’ve successfully survived evil boredom, despite the hurdles you faced, and made something! (Pretty tasty too, if I might add.) You are still mentally ill, though. But - hey - now you have a little treat! And hopefully, your day’s just a little bit brighter! Enjoy!

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 784: The first day's mountain

Pag 1

3: We're passing through the riverside road

4: I see it

6: Kaka

7: Ah!!

8: Teh!

9: It's the first day's

Pag 2

1: “mountain”!!

Pag 3

2: As we “promised”!!

Pag 4

3: It's the “first day's mountain stage”!!

4: A year ago

6: Manami-kun said it after the finish line, on the third and last day of the Inter High, when both of us were all worn out and barely still on our bikes

Pag 5

1: But having our race at the end on the final stage is too much pressure

2: Next year, if we both have the chance to run in the Inter High....

3: …. yeah

4: Let's race for the mountain stage on the first day

Yeah

5: Like Toudou-san and Makishima-san last year

Onoda!!

Manami-san!!

Pag 6

1: Manami!!

Manami-san!!

2: Onoda!!

3: He collapsed!!

Manami!! Take off his helmet

It's okay, I caught him

Onodaa!!

Onoda-san

Do we have a towel?

Danchiku, water!!

4: Next year... the mountain stage on the first day.... yeah

5: Got it....!!

Pag 7

3: When you run along a river....

4: the water only flows if there's a difference in elevation, either uphill or downhill!!

5: Here it's definitely uphill!!

Even if it looks like a flat at first glance, it's gradually climbing!!

Pag 8

1: Toward that mountain!!

Reading the map, it says that it's 5km until the base of the mountain!!

2: 5km!!

3: Don't lose sight of it like last year!!

Yes!! Sorry!!

4: Hold on tight!!

5: 'Cause I'll carry you all the way to the foot of the mountain!!

Pag 9

1: Thank you!!

2: “Positioning”....!!

3: When going from a flat to a climb you need to “position” yourself

Each team accelerates from the flats in order to bring their climbers to a good position

4: It's the so called “mountain's launching pad”!!

5: There will be a difference of several hundred meters in the first stage between a climber who was launched near the front of the group and a climber who was made to run up from the back of the group

Pag 10

1: Bring Onoda to the best possible position, Naruko!!

Oh-

Sohoku is moving up!!

Pag 11

1: -ruaaaagh

Ugh!! Sohoku's Naruko is so fast!!

2: I get what you're tryin to say, Hotshot!!

I'll take him!! Definitely!!

3: That's why I left the first result to Kabu!!

4: On that winter day, with an apologetic face

5: Ah....

6: Ah- uhm, I have something to tell you, but

Onoda-kun, who told us like it was difficult to say....

Pag 12

1: Ah the stove? You can just turn it off, we're the last ones

Yeah, please. Woah, look outside, it's snowing

Seriously? It must be cold

2: That's not it!!

3: Th-th- this morning... I got a text

4: What was that, an acceptance letter?

The proficiency exam?

5: It's a reply to the text I sent....

6: Three months ago!!

7: Uhm... really, I was worried that back when we made that promise it was right after the race and we were tired, so I thought maybe he had forgotten

Three months?

It was a long wait

So I sent him a text to ask him if he remembers?

Pag 13

1: And I received it this morning

Must be the proficiency test

Shut up!!

What are you whispering idiot

“Back when”, when was it?

No idea

2:He said only one word, “of course”

4: So, uhm... this time

5: Is it okay if I run for the first day's mountain stage during this summer's Inter High?

7: Is that so? Kakaka

Onoda-kun's eyes, like he couldn't contain his excitement...

Pag 14

1: I haven't forgotten it!!

2: I can't forget it!!

3: Onoda!!

Onoda-kun!!

Pag 15

1: 2km left until the foot of the mountain!!

2: Do your beeest....!!

Aren't they climbing at an amazing speed!? Each team is getting in line!!

Yeah, you're right!!

3: Every team is trying to “position” themselves for their climbers!!

“Position”!?

4: Also, look closely

Right now, the cyclist in the second position in the ranks

Pag 16

1: is the one who will race in the mountain stage!!

Pag 18

1: Oi, are you kidding me? Hakogaku is sending Manami?

From the first day!?

Manami is in second place

2: He's the “final boss”....!!

3: My dream of getting the red bib has been destroyed even before reaching the foot of the mountain....!!

4: Oi, look over there, that's not all!!

For Sohoku....

5: Naruko is pulling the “King of the mountain”!!

Wa- we're done for!! Completely!! My mountain prize!!

Pag 19

3: Manami-kun!!

4: Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 20

1: It's time for our promise!!

We're almost at the foot of the mountain!!

[gingermintpepper]

I continue to be in the foulest of moods so here are some Zeus + Apollo headcanons because they make me happy :)

(Important note: this is largely specific to my original work and is not me making inferences from mythical or historical texts)

Zeus and Apollo spar. Like a lot. Like a lot. A big reason why Apollo gets so good at boxing is because he usually sparred with his father as a young god and getting hit with one of Zeus' punches is!! Not advisable. He focused on becoming fleet-footed to combat Zeus' more solid fighting style which was definitely helped by his dancing. Conversely, Hermes would later develop wrestling partially as a response to Apollo's annoying fleet-footedness in combat.

Zeus decides to tie his mind to Apollo's when the strain of Apollo's visions become too intense for him to handle alone. When Apollo first returns from his exile after slaying Python, his visions are so severe that he suffered from 'time-blindness' where he could only percieve the future and was completely unable to see the present. Zeus shoulders some of that strain until Apollo becomes strong enough to handle prophecy on his own - though Zeus is careful not to give Apollo absolute prophecy lest he get overwhelmed again.

Despite their closeness, or maybe because of it, Zeus and Apollo argue quite a lot. Usually it's banal things like administrative work or squabbling over which of them should get the larger portion of a hecatomb, but they do argue about how prophecies should be carried out quite frequently too. There's a general agreement for Zeus not to bring up Apollo's children after how messy Aristaeus' anointing was (and how angry Apollo was at Zeus' disagreement with his decision to make his firstborn son a god) but the odd occasion where it cannot be avoided is usually when they have their most grave spats.

One of Zeus' greatest regrets is his relationship with Ares, partially because Ares grows up seeing him dote and teach Apollo with his full attention. There is... a lot of himself that he sees in Ares. A lot of Kronos too and the part of Zeus that is a warrior before he is a king has done his best to keep the boy at arms length entirely because of that familiarity with the face staring back at him. It's another of the things he and Apollo have argued ceaselessly about. Naturally, Apollo has attempted to bridge that gap many times and while Ares is still quite close with Artemis, when it comes to Apollo, he is particularly sensitive.

Zeus is the one that ultimately decided that Apollo should never marry. Due to Apollo's love-curse and his already concerning tendency to be overly attached and committed to his mortal affairs and offspring, Zeus decided that marriage would be doom to Apollo's spirit and proclaimed him unfit for the ceremony and its status. Instead of the expected argument, everyone was quite surprised when Apollo merely bowed his head and accepted such an outrageous decision.

[humanmorph]

(transcript by @violentandmagnificent)

It’s quiet here, living in your head. It’s quiet here, and when I talk, you listen, at least when you can hear me, which isn’t always. It isn’t always, but it’s better than never. It’s quiet here, living on this ship. It’s quiet here, and I remember when it was loud, I remember different voices bouncing in these halls, I remember old arguments, I remember myself. I wonder how much I can tell you; because  I can tell you; I have much to say. But you never saw me astride the Prophet’s Path, beside the Resin Heart, imparting wrath and play. So who am I? You only know what they’ve told you. So who am I? You only know what’s written down. So who am I? You only know what’s on recordings, and according to the world, I’m a hypocrite, or drowned. I doubt you can hear me, but I know that she can. So pardon my frustration, I’m just tired of her plan. I lost my life long before I understood, before metaphor became real, before I felt the wheel’s wood. I wonder what she’ll tell you. I wonder what she’ll share.  I wonder what she’ll ask of you, what task of sweat and prayer.  I long to sweat and pray, a body in the day. The color of the sun. The touch, the ocean's spray.  The last thing that I felt in life. (The first thing that I felt in life.) The touch, the ocean's spray.  I hope she tells the truth to you. (I hope she tells the worst to you.) The touch, the ocean's spray.  I loved her like she told me to. (I left her like she told me to.) The touch, the ocean's spray.  We’re running out of time, you know? (She’s running out of time, you know?) The touch, the ocean's spray.  I fear we might be mirrored, two echoes of a call shouted between two queens, two queens who want it all. I fear we might be symmetry, I fear we might be one. Make her tell the truth to you before we come undone.

PALISADE 37: Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 1

[rosielav]

Do you like fun?? Do you like whimsy??? How about mice???

Boy, do I have two games for you!! Both hacks of the Lasers + Feelings system, each game is one page, rp heavy, and can be played by small and large groups alike!

16 Mice in a Mech features the Mousey Mech Brigade and their many adventures! Create your perfect mousey crew, customize your mech, and pick from multiple customizable mission objectives!

16 Mice Make Soup (AKA MouSoup) is the culmination of two decades of watching cooking shows and wishing they weren't always so mean to each other. In this collaborative competition, you and your fellow MouChefs work together to create unique and unforgettable dishes using their customized Special Ingredient, but don't forget, at least one round MUST feature soup!!

I'm currently sitting at 247 + 189 sales respectively, and would absolutely love to hit 250 + 200 this month!! Since it is free+, I don't expect to make much/any $$, I just would love to share my silly little mouse games with as many people as possible 🐁

Thank you for your time! Keep Calm and Mouse On!!

[bisaster-energy]

big believer in keiko and kuwabara being besties like. you're my best friend's best friend and instead of it being awkward they realize "hey i really like hanging out with you!" this is ofc extremely detrimental to yusuke who now has two people on his ass

they share textbooks keiko quizzes kuwabara til he drops and she asks for fitness advice. why do i think this? I simply think it'd be funny asf if Keiko randomly got abs of steel. yusuke walks in on them doing sit ups while testing each other on vocab and almost breaks into tears.

"Keiko stop turning kuwabara into a fucking nerd he's wasting all his time studying instead of goofing off" "yusuke shut up and feel my abs" "holy shit these guys are like rock hard" "right??"

Kuwabara gets glasses and yusuke genuinely thinks it's a bit at first but kuwa is like "man seriously I realized part of the reason school was hard was cos I couldn't make out the words in my books half the time I need these things fr" classic yyh collapse in shock moment

Keiko and Kuwa are there for each other when yusuke goes off doing god knows what in Makai. They know he'll be back but it can be shitty not knowing what he's doing when he'll be back. Kuwabara reassures her that Yusuke does give a shit even when he leaves and Keiko reminds Kuwabara of why he doesn't need to drop everything and join him. He'll be back he'll be back he'll be back.

Kuwabara can only make simple meals Shizuru forced him to learn and Keiko doesn't really cook even tho her parents own a restaurant so when yusuke is in the human world there's cheers and applause "finally I get to eat 🙏🏼" "aren't you guys graduating college soon how are you surviving when I'm not here" "get back in the kitchen boy" "yeah I need another bowl 😌" "im poisoning ur food"

because girls and guys apparently can't just hang out school mates are sure Keiko is dating kuwabara but some think she's with yusuke and others think the two are fighting over her and she just looks at them like they're stupid if anyone ever asks directly

as for Kuwabara nobody knows whether he has a gf or a bf cos sometimes a polite brunette with a sweet smile visits him on campus and they talk at a picnic table (she's seen hitting him sometimes tho) but other times a guy with slicked back hair and devil may care attitude like. swaggers up to kuwa when he's with some classmates and drops a homemade lunch in his lap "you forgot this dumbass" "ahh thanks yusuke you're a life saver 🥺" "just eat your food" inside is the cutest box lunch and yusuke's glare keeps the people kuwa was with from cracking jokes. kuwabara acts like this is very normal

anyway i just think it'd be cool if they hung out and yusuke was equal parts delighted and grumpy about it

[cluescorner]

I gave myself a writing challenge and I am fascinated by it

So basically I put the robins in a randomizer to give them a new order/role (because I just...kinda wanted to see what would happen + I like role-reversal AUs) and got results that are giving me a fucking brain blast.

Stephanie, the first sidekick who defines the role

Tim, the sidekick who dies and comes back wrong

Dick, the sidekick who saves Batman from himself

Damian, the sidekick who was never supposed to be a sidekick but would go on to prove everyone wrong

Jason, the youngest sidekick who is still the Kid Wonder

...So this is fucking wild. I've got some ideas and several of these fit perfectly (Dick's role is pretty similar to his one in canon), but some of these are fucking INCREDIBLE to explore (Steph being the first Robin is something I never even considered but tbh I kinda love it).

I probably won't write a fic or anything because tbh I don't like publishing my writing that much, but I might expand this into a full AU and post about it. I might randomize other stuff too (ie, stuff that I cannot change vs stuff that I cannot keep the same) but this fucking rules as a starting point.

[chaosduckies]

The Hunted Marble (1)

Sooo change of plans on the posting of the prompts. I was getting a little burnt out on writing some of them, which ended with me writing this! (I'm sorry for everyone who has been waiting for so long-) But I was getting burnt out and wanted to write something that would stop me from getting writers block, which became this Naga fic!

Thank you to @da3dm for helping me write, create the title, and letting me borrow one of your characters!

Word Count: 4.3k

CW: fear, anxiety, blood (not much)

1-Kayden

The forest was home to many animals. Rabbits, deer, bears. Everything you would ever need to survive if you really thought about it hard enough. Rivers that twisted and turned, trees that stretched far up into the sky. A natural beauty that threatens to kill me. 

To me? It was a death trap. No matter how unafraid I was of the dangers of the woods, there was always that tiny bit of fear I could never seem to be rid of. 

   Alone in the woods with nothing but a pocket knife and a few measly arrows to fuel my bow, I made my trek through the thick foliage, stepping over loose sticks and stones that lined my path. 

I was never one to enjoy hunting, in fact, I never even wanted to be out here in the first place. But here I was, proving myself to be a man and make my parents proud. Even if they would never think that for a second of their lives. 

For once in my life I was grateful for the survival skills that I had been taught. Without them I would never have even made it past the first few feet away from home. But I was taught well, and kept moving along. Just as long as I could catch something I’d never have to do this ever again. 

I stayed still for a while, listening to my surroundings and noting the oncoming storm clouds, which meant that I would have to find shelter at some point. I sat by a bush, trying to hide my presence from any animals that happened to be nearby. 

I held my breath when I noticed a small rabbit emerge from the small shrub only a few feet away from my hiding spot. I raised the bow eye-level with me, eyeing the easy mark. The rabbit slowly hopped over the grass, sniffing it and not noticing me. Perfect. I aimed, ready to hit and claim my prize. Exhaling as I released the arrow from the bow, and completely missing the rabbit. 

Groaning silently to myself out of anger, I chased it down, running as fast as my legs would carry me. There was no way I was going to let them escape. I wanted to go back home, lock myself in my room and never have to think about this again. I felt bad for the animals we hunt for food, but we do what we need to do to survive. 

The rabbit was far ahead, but still visible as thunder roared in the air, the light raindrops falling on me. I kept going, not concerned about the storm brewing in the skies above. Trees cut and bruised my skin, making me wince but never once made me falter. I only needed something small. Nothing big that I couldn’t handle, and a rabbit would make me feel less bad about myself. I mean, I was killing an innocent animal that definitely didn’t deserve what was coming for them, 

I followed, trying not to mind the many bruises that were already forming along my skin. My chest felt heavy as I gasped for air, eyes still trained on the target ahead. The rain started pouring harder, making it nearly impossible to follow the trail of the rabbit. What would I do if I didn’t catch it and inevitably was lost to the storm? It would be difficult to find my way back, now that I think about it. 

It was one foot in front of the other, planting safely on the ground until there wasn’t one anymore. I let out a yelp as my body hit the sharp and rough rocks lined against the steep decline of the trees and grass. I groaned, picking my head up and noticing my vision wasblurry, either from the rain or from the fall I didn’t know. I tried lifting my aching body back up, struggling with balance. How was I supposed to know that there was a huge fall right there? I wouldn’t have even been here in the first place if it wasn’t for my dad. 

Limping my way towards the nearest tree, I realized my ankle was now turning a disgusting purple and red color, bleeding a little bit. I took a moment to catch my breath, wet hair in my face and ignoring the brutal pain erupting from my injured ankle. The debate on whether to go back home empty handed and disgrace my family, or to stay here and  very likely die. Neither of which were great options. 

The rain wasn’t going to let up anytimesoon, and I still needed to find some sort of shelter. I didn’t want to be sick when I arrived back home. If I could even make it home. 

I placed pressure on my twisted ankle, biting down so hard on my cheek that I tasted blood. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, painfully attempting to walk straight. Of course something like this had to happen. How did I not see it coming? The odds were stacked against me here. It’s raining, my ankle was twisted at an odd angle and hurt to even slightly place pressure onto it, could this get any worse? 

My weary eyes searched through the rain and trees, not seeing any shelter that would keep me dry from the rain. I applied pressure to my messed up ankle, flinching from the pain but forcing myself to keep walking in search of someplace dry. Either some place with a thick canopy, a cave, or by some miracle, a hut. So far, there had been no signs of light as far as I could see. The sky grew darker, signaling that night was upon me. Alright, so it could get worse. That’s just great. 

I picked up the pace, biting down harder on my jaw with every excruciating step. The bleeding hadn’t stopped yet, but that was the least of my worries. I just needed to get to safety before I get mangled by some wild animal. The ground was muddy and made it harder to move, but there was no way that I was going to stop anytime soon. My clothes were drenched, my hair glued to my eyes, and the cut on my ankle was burning from stinging raindrops. 

After a while, the ground started to decline once again, and learning from my past mistakes, I made sure to slowly slide down. From the bottom, you could see a river steadily start to overfill that flowed through a wide ravine. Around me you could see small mountains surrounding the area. If it weren’t raining then maybe this area would be a nice place of sanctuary. Sadly, that was only wishful dreaming. I may not even make it back home alive. 

I studied the terrain further, noticing a huge cave entrance. I gawked at the size before limping inside. The pitch black darkness not only set me on my nerves, but also gave the indication that there may be a family of bears living here. But there was a slim possibility of that. I think. 

I headed deeper into the cave, clutching my bow close to my body as I struggled to traverse

over the rough terrain. I walked until my eyes could no longer adjust to the darkness, which was only a little ways from the mouth of the cave. I took one more step to make sure nothing was lurking, and instead hit a solid surface. Really? For a big entrance this cave didn’t go very deep. The wall in front of me was warm and felt a little… off, but that could just be my imagination. Maybe that’s what limestone felt like? I’d have no idea since I haven’t seen it for myself.

I leaned against the limestone wall (Or maybe it was marble?) and held my ankle close, staring as the storm raged outside. I was still drenched from head to toe, my hair slowly drying off, but otherwise it was nice and warm here for some odd reason. There was a small draft that came in increments, but otherwise safe and dry. So far no bears, which was a plus. 

As I was just about to fall asleep to the sound of rain, I heard something moving from behind me. My eyes widened, moving back to see the wall move, recognizing in the little remaining light that it was entirely white and scaly. I scampered backwards, trying to avoid being crushed by the huge white wall that was currently unraveling. My chest rose up and down, watching as the white scales slowly dwindled down. Something moved in the darkness and I couldn’t tell what it was, but it was big. 

Everything stopped moving, the white scaly wall, my own breathing, the small draft that was there moments before. I waited for something. Anything. Just to explain whatever the heck was happening. Walls don’t just move. I mean, it’s just common sense. It was strange how the cave did just abruptly stop… almost like something was blocking the way. 

What I initially thought was a wall at first was now moving around on the floor snake-like, disappearing into the dark. There was still a large part of it I could see, trailing my head up and up until I could no longer see anymore white. It was obvious it was connected to something that was huge and moving. My breathing became more frantic, afraid that it wasn’t a bear that I should’ve been worried about. Something bigger? Scarier? I gripped my bow tightly in my trembling hands. I wasn’t as scared. I was taught how to handle situations like these. Just stay as calm as possible. What would they think of me if I ran away? I needed to come back home with something. Maybe it could be whatever was hiding itself. But if it really was as big as I think it is… No. If my dad wanted me to prove myself then I can’t run away from this. 

I stood up, my legs shaky but otherwise were able to carry my weight. I grabbed an arrow from the case strapped on my back and waited for any recognition of a head for body. I bit my lower lip out of nervousness. What would happen if I couldn’t kill this thing? I would die and then they’d probably send for someone to come looking for me, but I would most likely already be dead or eaten. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought. 

There was a low rumbling noise that reverberated against the cave walls. I sucked in a deep breath, getting ready to draw my bow. Something above me yawned, I shot my head straight up, pointing my bow towards the sound, hearing everything around me move. Something was placed down on the side of me. I studied it, seeing that it looked more like a hand than anything else. Just really, really big. If I were to guess I’d maybe be the size of its thumb. I swallowed, nerves settling in. Who was I kidding? It’d be better for me to run away and at least have a chance of surviving than attempt to kill this humongous being and become its snack. 

I felt something move closer to me, instantly making me take a few steps back and instinctively point my bow towards whatever was in front of me. My heart was racing, but my breathing remained calm. Everything will be fine, totally fine. What could go wrong? Panic swirled in my mind as I readied myself to face off against this monster. 

The rain outside wasn’t letting up as lightning lit up the sky, bright flashes of white entering the cave and giving me a better look at what was in front of me. I now realized that the wall wasn’t a wall at all, but a white, scaly tail that was very slowly unraveling itself. I picked my head up slowly, lightning flashing again, revealing the body. Was it weird that…it looked like a human? My eyes widened, seeing colorful light blue eyes struggle to keep themselves open. There was no way I would be able to even lay a scratch on this thing. Whatever it was anyways. Tail, upper body like a person, I feel like I’ve heard about something like this before. 

The blue eyes that lay in front of me looked around, pupils round and seemingly tired. I backed away slowly, afraid of catching its attention. Though it wouldn’t be able to see in the dark, would it? I hoped not. I carefully placed the arrow back in its casing, clutching my bow so tight my knuckles were turning white. I thought everything was going alright up until I tripped over a rock and fell back down with a loud thud! 

I turned my head slowly towards the eyes, seeing its pupils become slim and sharp like a cats. I let out a yelp as I stood up as quickly as possible and rushed towards the large exit. Please please please. I can’t die here just please- my thoughts were interrupted by running something scaly and warm. Its tail. I attempted to turn around, but it was useless. I was stopped by being wrapped up in a prison of illuminating white scales, my arms trapped underneath the skin. I started panicking, terrified. What could I do in this situation? I was utterly trapped with no chance of escape, I couldn’t reach my bow because -wow- I dropped my only weapon on the ground. There was no way I was going to make it out alive. 

I tried kicking myself free and trying to pull out my arms in a futile attempt, the tail only wrapping around me even more until I was trapped in a few of its coils. It seemed ever since I entered this stupid forest my heart has done nothing but threaten to burst right out of my chest. Absolutely nothing good has happened since I left home, and it hasn’t even been a day. Usually other boys were home by now having a meal out of the animal they had caught. Me? I was going to be the one that dies. Which, not uncommon, but for a prince it’d be a laughing embarrassment for my parents. 

The ungodly being forced itself closer, letting me be able to get a better look at what I was dealing with. My eyes widened in fear, watching its face take up most of my vision. White hair, skin, those same light blue eyes that rang the bell of death. The word to describe this monster had finally clicked in my mind. Naga. What I thought was an ungodly creature was as close to a god as can be. Their eyes flickered down at me tiredly as it let out a yawn, revealing impossibly sharp canines. Was I about to really become its snack? No- I can’t let that happen. 

I struggled to get free even more, successfully pulling one of my arms free and working on getting the other one free before the naga lowered its head to be eye-level with me. I paused, staring into their slitted pupils and watching as they dilated, showing that they weren’t hostile. I continued struggling, my shoulder and legs hurting from the amount of pressure I was placing on them. I needed to get out of here. At least if I go home empty handed I could just re-do this some other time. I might get punished but at least I would be alive. 

“A h-human? Here?” The naga questioned, bringing a clawed hand closer to its face. It sounded more confused than malicious. Could be a trick. I managed to get my other arm free, now trying to regain function of my legs. I let out a loud groan, almost pulling myself free before I was just placed into another prison, which of course they would keep me pinched between their fingers. Was I really that… insignificant? As soon as I almost escape from one prison, I’m placed in another just as fast and easily. My breathing became ragged as I felt my stomach drop. I was raised higher, barely catching how they kept an open palm below me. No matter what I do it’d just catch me. I pictured them chasing me through the vast expanse of forest. Running for my life, legs tired, and just before I reach a point of safety, I’d just be trapped again. 

I kicked and pushed away from the large digits, trying to get myself free. Of course I was scared! No man wouldn’t be! But I wasn’t scared enough that I would just give up. I was going to get out of this one way or another. Even if all the odds are currently stacked against me. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” The naga worriedly stated, adjusting his grip and setting me down on his palm. I clutched my chest, grabbing a fistfull of my shirt and trying to calm my breathing. I never realized just how much I was panicking. I wasn’t at all happy with where I was, but better than being squeezed like some childs toy. 

The naga tilted its head, lowering me down, but not low enough for me to safely jump down without hurting my ankle. There was still a little bit of blood, but nothing I couldn’t handle. 

“You’re hurt?” They squinted their eyes, trying to get a better look at my ankle. I pulled my legs closer to my body, facing away. Could he sense my fear? The last thing I needed was for this monster to know I was hurt. It would only make the toying better for it. 

“D-do you mind if I see?” They asked nervously. What?... If I were being honest I was extremely confused. Weren’t nagas supposed to be these secluded beings? They hated anything that came into their territory? 

“Yes.” I answered a little too rudely. I winced to myself, already knowing I messed up. Great. I just spoke like that to an almost-god. I just love how this day is going. 

I waited for any kind of punishment, thinking it would be the death of me anyways, but nothing once again. I didn’t get it. Was this some kind of sick trick? Was I being baited into something? Even if I’ve never, ever met or seen a naga before shouldn’t they be more… mean? Full of malice?  

The naga didn’t respond, letting out a sigh before smiling. Had I not been more focused on the fangs, it would’ve been nice. 

“Can you hurry up and eat me already? Stop teasing me.” The last part came out like I was about to cry, and I was going to if I hadn’t wiped away the tears first. 

The naga stared at me wide-eyed, as if taken aback from my outburst. I wasn’t going to show that I was terrified. I was brave. I didn’t undergo all of that brutal training just to be a coward at the very end. Heck, I love going outside, exploring the many new fruit trees or even the flowers that sprout during the spring. I loved staying by the river and playing in the water. I may have always been alone but at least I was able to have just a little bit of fun. So why couldn’t I be brave like all those other times I was exploring on my own? 

“No! Nonono- I-I wasn’t-” The naga stuttered, unable to get words together. Everything right now was so confusing. I didn’t get it. There was a naga who seemed more scared than I was, the rain had been going on for forever and didn’t seem to want to let up anytime soon. 

“What? You’ve already trapped me here. I’m pretty much helpless too.” I sighed, bringing my hands up to my face and leaning back. Truth was, I was hiding the tears. I’m not some soldier who can stare death in the face and not waver in any way. The whole brave act seemed to be working in my favor though. Maybe I can work with this. 

“I-I wasn’t going to hurt you-”

I cut him off, “Yeah and look where I am now. Held against my will.” 

The naga was at a loss for words.I mean, what was he supposed to say to that? Unless he really was putting on an entire act and lunged at me right now I should be able to get out… perfect plan. 

They bit the side of their cheek, lowering their hands down and cautiously letting me jump off. I winced as my feet hit the ground, my ankle throbbing under the pressure, but otherwise I could stand upright. I let out a sigh of relief. Finally on the ground again. 

“Is that better?” They lowered themselves towards the ground, using their arms as a pillow. I hated how he was watching me but… I smiled to myself anyways, making a run for it and hoping that nothing would- 

I slammed into something just like before, their tail still in the way. I fell backwards, grumbling and quickly stood back up. Seriously? I groaned, attempting to climb over instead of running around since there was no way I could make it all the way around. Of course it had to be a giant snake person. Of course. I tried to find a grip on the scales, only sliding down every time. Should’ve gone to those stupid climbing training lessons. Maybe then I’d be out of here. 

After the naga not making a single move to stop me at all, and me becoming tired of falling everytime I managed to get even the least bit of progress, I gave up. I sat up against the tail, arms crossed and legs close to my chest. I wasn’t going home. The real question was why I wasn’t even allowed to go. Because I would tell everyone? Who would believe me? Nagas were an old fairytale parents told to their children to get them to behave.

I buried my head in defeat. As much as I loathed my parents, I still wanted to go home, wrap myself under warm covers, get some dry clothes, and forget that this ever happened. Instead I’m cold, hurt, tired, my clothes were barely drying off, and currently trapped with a being that’s supposed to only be in fairytales. Life is great. Everything is… great.

“Are you happy now?” I glared up at the naga, throwing my hands up in the air and leaning further back. The naga stared at me, their eyes full of sympathy I never even wanted. 

“It’s raining.” They pointed outside like I was oblivious to the fact.

I gestured towards myself, clothes still drenched and hair stuck to my face, “Yeah, I guessed so.” 

“And you don’t want to stay dry?” They asked, making a point. I looked away, a little annoyed at the fact that this naga was completely right. It was warm and dry here. I doubt any predators, other than the naga itself, would come here. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t find any animals here. 

“Well, I would like to go home.” 

The naga sighed sadly, almost like he wanted me to stay. Yeah so I could be its snack. Not entirely wrong. I think. So far it’s just been a confusing mess. At first I thought I’d be dead immediately, then the naga was friendly, and now I have no idea what to think. A plus is that I’m not dead yet. 

“H-how about you just stay here? Just until the rain stops at least.” They had offered. Tempting, but I’m not dumb enough to fall for that trick. 

“And end up as your next meal? Yeah I don’t think so.” I stood up, studying my surroundings for another possible way out and ignoring the naga behind me. So what if he just kills me right now? I doubt he would based on his actions so far, but I wasn’t trying to stick around for longer than necessary. 

“No- um, I’m being honest. Just until the rain stops, and I won’t do anything to you.” He seemed a little stumped at the whole snack part, but otherwise sounded genuine. I mean, did they really have a reason to lie to me? Unless they were some sick psycho who took pleasure in watching all the trust I have left in me die then I should be good. To be honest, staying here didn’t seem all too bad either. Besides the giant snake of course. 

I contemplated the pros and the cons. I’d have a place to be warm and somewhat safe, but there’d also be a big possibility of the naga not wanting me here anymore. Especially after I was so mean. I just had to hope it wasn’t dwelling on that. 

“Fine. But I don’t want you picking me up like some toy.” I agreed. Sitting and getting myself comfy on the hard rock. I was beyond tired. My muscles ached, I felt disgusting, and obviously I was still wet. Of course I’d be exhausted. I yawned, laying down and facing the roof of the cave that seemed impossible for me to reach. 

“I didn’t catch your name?” The naga asked. I heard him moving, but never once touched or came near me. Maybe he wasn’t lying? 

I sighed, “Usually when someone asks for a name they give their own first.” 

“O-oh! Um, Vasuki, and you?” 

“Kayden.” 

Nothing was said after, but my body was tired and my eyes were threatening to close at any second.

“Nice to meet you.” I could almost hear the smile on Vasuki’s face. I rolled my eyes, finally settling in and finding a decent spot to sleep. To be honest I didn’t care that a literal giant was probably looming over me and could possibly kill me while I was sleeping, but everything would be fine, right? I didn’t have time to think, my eyes gave up on staying awake any longer and fell asleep. 

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

I will definitely be making this into a series! Just cause I had a lot of fun writing and it's gotten me out of a writers block. Also because I don't like it when everyone associates nagas with vore, it can be without it too! (Just my personal thing, nothing is wrong with it I just prefer nagas without vore)

Thank you for reading! And thank you again to 3D for letting me borrow their character Vasuki! :D

Taglist: @da3dm (if you would like to be added please let me know!)

[fumifooms]

Fleki x Marcille

I dub thee flekille Fourth entry of my “Dunmeshi rarepairs I will birth with my own hands if I have to” series. This one goes really well alongside laicion

Hear me out… Probably one of my most crackpair simply because they never really interact in canon, but it snowballed from me thinking about laicion so many months ago and I genuinely enjoy them a lot on their own now too.

Overview of the appeal: Silly prep girl that tries to not be silly x silly troublemaker that is silly on purpose. Could have been cellmates in another life 😍 /j It’s chaos x order, it’s propriety x will tease you specifically to make you uncomfortable, it’s Fleki sticking around Marcille when she gets the opportunity to because she thinks she’s entertaining, it’s her dragging Marcille to a shitty club that would give anyone epileptic a seizure and Marcille being so out of her depth but finding the thrill intriguing… It’s Fleki’s YOLO attitude rubbing on Marcille a bit, encouraging her to stress less and live more, it’s Marcille looking out for Fleki and teaching her to value her health, her friends and stability in life more. It’s banter, where Fleki is bold and amused and Marcille is panicked and horrified, which as they grow to know each other becomes Fleki teasing and Marcille responds with exasperated but fond comebacks. They have big yuri manga with a bad boy girl vibes, they deserve 50k slow burn rivals to lovers fics exploring the deepest emotional lows imaginable, they deserve cute funny bantery ficlets where they try out rollerskating together and Fleki skates face first into a pole and Marcille heals her up. ALSO it’s the mage who always talks about the importance of hair and braids hers neatly x the mage who keeps her hair long but at MOST brushes it every 3 days and looks feral

We see that Fleki looooves casual physical contact which I think suits Marcille well! Since she’s also big on casual & affectionate physical touches. Oversimplifying it, I kinda see Fleki as a more chaotic and less grumpy Izutsumi, which I think pairs really well with Marcille.

Ok, so the meme + below is my romantic flekille & laicion, qpr laimar & flekion vision… Maybe romantic laimar and flekion too idfc. Fleki’s bestie Lycion and Lycion’s boyfriend Laios and Laios’ girlfriend Marcille and Marcille’s girlfriend Fleki… A bond forged by the shared experience of having a feral partner. In my timeline they start hanging out because laicion starts dating and it goes from there, like they keep showing up at the other’s place to come pick their guy up or when laicion meet up in town at an agreed location both come with their bestie so then as Laios and Lycion head off the girlies just stand there awkwardly for a sec together… And it becomes habit enough that they start talking. One time one arrives early at the other’s place to pick up their dog guy so while she waits on Laios and Lycion being done hanging out they just chat and hit it off around the kitchen table. Eventually maybe they all live together, the girls have a qpr situationship with their respective dog boy too and they all snuggle up together on the couch and life is good… I have a couple of other flekille au ideas though.

The one college au I would EAT UP FR. Anything modern for them is so fun for some reason. They could even have a like… y’know ‘that yuri manga where the prep girl thinks the emo girl’s a boy and she’s interested’ thing (googling it The guy she was interested in wasn’t a guy at all is the name), they feel like they’d have that energy… Except that instead of Fleki being dressed all cool she’s dressed in Minions merch or something. Puke colored tie dye. Marcille cringes but also smth about the cringefail allure has her enraptured (jk it’s mostly Fleki being determinedly clingy) Like come on imagine Fleki with the alpaca trampoline hand tattoo, Marcille would be so endeared. They have the vibes ever, I wanna see them hang out and with Lycion and Laios too

Marcille, seeing this disheveled absolute rascal: … I can fix her.

I made a reblog post that goes into Fleki’s drug addiction a lil for the topic of the ship just so it’s easily avoidable if it’s an uncomfortable topic to some, I don’t go into the details though, just on how it might affect their relationship

[mintcarus]

This is just a reference for my fic- But here’s Luigi and Bowser’s formal wear because they were kinda hard to describe in writing.

Fun fact! Luigi’s outfit originally looked way different but there were so many complications with it so now it looks like that.

[brutal-nemesis]

big question!! dude can we please see a scene in the AU where castys has his tongue cut off and he has to deal with that? like man, the shock and the pain and the fuckin grief? and neteri just being herself ofc

anyway the latest erebus chapter was heartbreaking you’re so good at being awful to these lads (i can’t stop reading)

Thank you I try,,,,,

Okay strap in fellas I think this is banger as hell I had a great time and let me know if you have any other requests for the AU!

Ingredients: shockingly, tongue gets cut off! some suffocation as well

Castys wasn’t great at sitting in chairs normally, something his parents had always reprimanded him for, but, hey, they’d never taken it as far as to fucking tie him to one, and Castys was grateful. This shit was uncomfortable. Like, yeah, the rough ropes around his wrists and ankles were tight and itchy, but also the position just sucked. Not that he’d rather be standing or something-

“You must be Castys!” The door had swung open, and now this little lady with a white coat on was walking up to him. 

“Yes, I’m Castys,” he said flatly as she scurried behind him before coming back without her bag. And then she just…stared at him. Castys wasn’t sure what she was looking at, since there really wasn’t much to see, just, like, him. Eventually her eyes wandered up to his, and she jumped in place a bit.

“Oh, right, I’m Neteri.” She stuck her hand out like she expected him to shake it.

“You know I’m tied up, right?”

“Ah. Yeah.” Her skin was dark enough that it wasn’t immediately obvious that she was blushing, but Castys was pretty sure she was. She ended up awkwardly grabbing his right hand and shaking it a bit. “I, um, I’ll be preparing you for this afternoon. Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous.”

“Well, you’re not tied to a chair so I think you’ll be okay.”

She laughed. “You’re right, you’re right, but I’m just…I think I’m going to do something I’m not supposed to do.”

Castys raised an eyebrow. “Let me go because I’m funny?”

Neteri rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, so clearly she did think he was funny. “No, you’re staying put, sorry bud. But I think I’m going to keep you. You’re kind of perfect.” She tried to cup his cheek in her hand, but Castys leaned away, staring at her with wide eyes.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” His mouth was really dry all of a sudden, he wasn’t perfect, he was a fuck-up, a useless heir, that had been his goal, he wasn’t good at anything he was supposed to be good at, he wasn’t well-mannered or polite, he had a huge fucking scar on his face and a lopsided smile because of it, he was filthy and vulgar and didn’t have any interest in getting married he was absolutely anything but perfect. So why the hell did she want him?

“It’s not important right now. You’ve got a big day ahead of you!” She clapped her hands, dismissing the subject entirely. He wanted to press her further, but after seeing the lovely object she pulled out of her pocket, everything else was forgotten.

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Aw, what are you gonna do about it, Castys? I thought you were tied to a chair!” Great, now it was his turn to feel his face grow hot, because, yeah, what the fuck was he gonna do?

Normally, he doubted he’d immediately recognize it for what it was, but today, right now, after just being told this lady wanted to keep him, it was instantly clear. And Neteri was right, he was only able to squirm uselessly and lean away as she wrapped the collar around his neck without much trouble. His first swallow after she’d sealed it shut felt horrible, and he absolutely did not want to get used to it.

“See, it’s not so bad. It looks cute on you!” She ruffled his hair, which only made Castys more uncomfortable.

“I don’t want to be cute. I’m not a fucking dog.” He wasn’t sure whether the collar was part of Neteri’s weird desires or just to humiliate him, but either way he hated it.

“No, you’re not, but you’re also not a prince anymore, and you’re the property of the Xernan Empire, and this is a good reminder of that,” Neteri said as she walked around behind him, probably to her bag. Castys rolled his eyes. He didn’t need to be reminded that he wasn’t a prince, since it was his favorite new development in all of this. Unless…unless it wasn’t just a reminder for him, but for everyone else, too…He really, really hoped there wasn’t going to be some sort of public display, but given how Neteri’d said he had a “big day” ahead…fuck, that was probably the case, huh?

“Now, I’m going to…oh, I might get in so much trouble for this,” Neteri muttered as she stared at the floor, standing in front of him once again. She had leather gloves on, which would have been nice earlier when she was touching him, and she was holding…a pair of shears? He didn’t think she’d put on gloves if she was just going to cut his hair, and given that she thought she might get in trouble for it, it seemed like she was going to…maim him somehow. Castys curled his hands into fists as Neteri slapped her cheeks with her palms, still talking to herself. “No, I’m going to do this. I deserve it. It’s not that far off from what the emperor wants. Okay,” she held the shears up and gave Castys a concerningly bright smile. “Any last words?”

For once, Castys didn’t take the opportunity to speak.

Instead, he locked his jaw shut tight, teeth clenched so hard it hurt, lips pressed together, walls of protection around his tongue. 

That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it?

Neteri cocked her head, watching him. “Nothing to say all of a sudden? No jokes?” Her smile disappeared as her eyes narrowed. “You figured it out, didn’t you, Castys? What I’m going to do to you.”

He didn’t bother nodding.

Neteri stepped up to him, her knee on the chair in between his legs, leaning over him, her face right above his as he craned back to avoid her. “You’re going to have to get used to obeying me, Castys.” The cold metal of the shears rested on his cheek. “So open your mouth.”

If there’s one thing Castys was good at, it was disobeying orders.

After a few moments of neither of them moving, Neteri pinched Castys’s nose shut with her free hand, not saying a word. Fine, he could play that game. Hold on as the pressure in his chest built, as his head started to spin, as his vision started to darken, every fiber of his being screaming at him to just give in to the inevitable and take a breath. He could do it quick, a little gasp, fast enough that she wouldn’t be able to do anything. Okay, three, two…

The exhale was shaky, but it was fine, just a quick inhale as he snapped his mouth shut-

His teeth scraped against metal, the sensation sending shivers down his spine.

Neteri stared at him with a detached coldness as she rotated the shears, forcing his jaw open wide, wide enough for her to stick her hand in and grab his tongue, pulling it out despite his attempts to pull it back, turning the shears to the side now, opening them up, the cold blades-

Snip.

Castys’s mouth was hot it was burning he was choking the smell of blood was so strong he was suffocating on it her hand was still in his mouth her fingers pressed against his wound magic piercing through his jaw he’d scream if he had the air and then that was it her hand was gone he lurched forward coughing and spitting blood and saliva all down the front of the threadbare shirt he’d been given and once he saw the discarded little piece of pink flesh on the floor he couldn’t look at anything else he couldn’t believe that was it it was gone it wasn’t in his mouth his mouth was empty there was only the blood still dripping out and when Neteri laid a hand on his back he wanted to growl at her not to touch him but he couldn’t he couldn’t say anything anymore he was quiet nothing to say no thoughts or opinions of his own just how his parents had wanted him-

“It’s alright, Castys, just breathe. It was a little more difficult than it needed to be, but you did it.” And why did it need to be at all? “Just two more things left today and then you can rest. And then hopefully…” Her hand slid up, resting on the back of his neck, on that awful collar, and Castys wanted to scream. He never, ever wanted to belong to her.

But what he wanted didn’t matter anymore.

Castys was dragged out and whipped and branded and left out on display, brought back and patched up by Neteri and given soup that he couldn’t taste, and when the door slammed shut behind her, he finally allowed himself to cry.

His back and chest hurt, of course, the wounds aggravated no matter how he moved or what position he laid in, but he could deal with it. It was nothing compared to what he’d lost, the little pocket of empty space inside his mouth.

Words were all he’d ever have to really fight back, complaining when he was forced to do things he didn’t want to, scaring off all the suitors his parents picked out, jokes keeping him calm when he was scared or upset, even when he couldn’t do anything he could still say something, make sure everyone knew how he felt, and now he was more helpless than ever before and he couldn’t say a single fucking thing. 

He didn’t even know where he was going to end up, either sold off to some asshole or left in Neteri’s clutches, and no matter what, he wasn’t going to be treated like a person. The collar made it pretty clear. He was less than human now, a pet, a lab rat, property, something that didn’t need to have thoughts or opinions anymore. 

He’d rather be a prince after all.

Castys Cult: @as-a-matter-of-whump​ @blackrosesandwhump​ @fanmanga1357-blog​​ @thehopelessopus​ @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

@hearse-song​ @muddy-swamp-bitch @whumpasaurus101 @yet-another-heathen​​ @galaxywhump 

@starnight-whump​ @his-unspoken-words​ @misspelledwitch @suspicious-whumping-egg​ @pumpkin-spice-whump​ 

@painsandconfusion @i-can-even-burn-salad @befuddled-calico-whump​ @whumpinggrounds​ @whump-queen​

@whumpedydump

[bone-evidence]

Here's the second of my PruCan Minifics, based off sentences (or prompts) given to me by you lovely folks! This one was from @disneyprincessdxminatrix, and it was: "No one's ever going to hurt you again. Not as long as I'm around." I took that and ran to perhaps unexpected places lmao! Enjoy!

Quiet murmurs of anticipation all stopped the second the large wooden doors opened. The High Priest, dressed in fine white robes and the visage of a horrific horned Demon, led the sacrifice like a dog on a leash to the circular stone altar. 

Matthew was almost relieved. Almost. 

Though they'd bound his wrists in front of him with rough rope, they hadn't bothered to cover his eyes at all. No, they dragged him out of the animal pen in which they'd kept him for the last two months and paraded him around like a prized beast ripe for the slaughter. He supposed that a blindfold wasn't necessary. The dozens of people around him, all dressed in black robes, wore the same mask their leader did. There was no mercy to be found among the sea of cold eyes on him. 

The room was lit only by candles placed in the alcoves that lined the stone walls. These seemed to be shrines in the Demon's honour. Each one held a candle and a sculpture of the fiend carved out of deep red wood, decorated with the leaves of poisonous plants and various bones. Matthew tried very hard to push the question of where they'd gotten those bones out of his mind. If this was where he would die, he'd rather not think about those he was about to join.

The circular stone altar at the end of the room was his final destination. If he had any strength, he might have tried to wriggle out of the ropes and run. His captors were, unfortunately, smarter than to let that happen. He was only ever given enough food and water to keep him alive. At first, when they came into his pen bearing a knife, it took four of them to hold him down long enough to pierce his flesh and carve in the beginning of their profane symbols. It only took one to hold him down and finish the unholy scripture three days ago. 

Tears he didn't know he had left slipped down his cheek as he was finally forced to kneel on the stone altar. The carvings that were forever scarred in his flesh, up his freckled arms and down his back, were mirrored on the obsidian rim that surrounded him now. There was no need to tie him down to anything. Once he was on the ground, he knew there was no strength in him to get back up. All he could do was sob as the High Priest's hands raised to the sky, silencing the ghoulish crowd before them.  

The profane sermon had begun. 

Much to Matthew's horror, each praise that fell out of the Priest's mouth ignited a symbol on the altar. Each word in an infernal language he didn't understand , each dark promise, each retelling of horrible deeds inflicted upon humanity, all of these in turn ignited more of the circle around Matthew until it was almost completely lit. The sacrifice trembled and wailed for someone, anyone to save him, though he knew it was hopeless. 

If the Gods wanted to rescue him, they would have done it alrea- 

Ker-rack!

Halfway through what was surely the last words Matthew would ever hear, something dark and horrible crashed through the roof and landed in a heap on the stone floor.

The cultists around it backed away, whispering amongst themselves as they did so. This… thing, whatever it was, wasn't what they were expecting. The Demon was taller, right? Had horns? Wasn't it supposed to burst out of the sacrifice's body and be reborn in blood, not punch a hole into their sacred meeting place?

An unnatural wind, cold as the moonlight now cascading through the broken roof, whipped furiously around the thing as it stood. From thin air it conjured a sword made of no metal Matthew had ever seen. After all, what metal shimmered gold under lunar glow?

 At the thing's unspoken command, the wind rushed towards the alcoves on the walls. It stole the fire from each candle and knocked every small shrine down, sending bones and wood clattering to the ground. It carried the small flames, one by one, to the thing's outstretched blade until one couldn't see the metal through flame. 

It leveled the blade at the cultists, and Matthew wasn't sure whether he should be terrified or grateful. 

The men and women around it surely thought, since they were several dozen and it was only one, that they could take it. That mistake proved fatal. 

The being was obviously some kind of divine. No other force could cut through those bearing a Demon's protective amulets as though they were butter. Nothing else could splash stone walls with red and ignite the robes of the very recently deceased in one blow. Nothing else's wrath could be so swift and terrible! Matthew wasn't sure whether his screams joined the many cut off by horrific gurgling. All he knew was that once every last cultist was dead, after every soul in the room had been severed save for his own, it was alarmingly quiet. 

The thing stepped into the pool of moonlight made by it's entrance and paused to catch it's breath. Finally, Matthew got a good look at it. 

At him, rather. His feathered wings were cloth ripped from the fabric of night itself. His eyes, still wild from battle, were swirling red nebulas set into the bloodsplattered face of the moon. His steps were even and measured as he walked towards the sacrifice, blade held at his side. 

Matthew flinched and squeezed his eyes shut on instinct. The angel before him was fallen, after all; beholden to no God and no code, if he decided Matthew's life was forfeit too, his blade would find no resistance from demon-marked flesh.

Matthew expected the next (and last) thing he felt to be the bite of that sword. For his abused body to burn, for the fallen one to complete his task and leave no one alive to tell the tale of what happened here. What he didn't expect was a gentle hand under his chin, lifting it slightly and bidding him to open his eyes. 

He did so slowly, expecting to be greeted with the same battle craze and bloodlust. Instead, the clouds of the divine's eyes had cleared, leaving only dolorous pools of crimson to stare back at him. 

"What is your name?" The angel asked. Though it was clear he was trying to be gentle, there was still a commanding edge to his voice.  

"M-Matthew. Matthew, my name is Matthew, Mr. Angel. A-are you going to, um… I-I mean, am I going… to…?"

A breath resembling a chuckle left the divine's lips at the implication. His deft fingers began to work the knots that bound Matthew's wrists together loose, until the bloodstained rope finally fell to the cold stone altar. "You will not die tonight, Matthew. Can you stand?"

Truth be told, Matthew couldn't even find it in himself to try. His strength was gone. Starvation, dehydration, and countless tortures would have been enough of a reason, but something in his very soul had been drained and fed to the ritual. Perhaps something small in him had died along with everyone else in the room after all. All he could do was shake his head. 

This was, apparently, not going to be a problem for the angel. He scooped Matthew up easily, as if he were merely a child and not a man of twenty-three. A soft half-smile illuminated the fallen one's face as he walked towards the moonlight. 

"I can promise you this, Matthew." He began, as he stretched out his mighty wings. One flap, two flaps, and the room that was supposed to spell death was nothing more than a memory. 

"No one's ever going to hurt you again. Not as long as I'm around."

[hannahssimblr]

“Oh God,” Shane puts his head in his hands, “That’s so bad. Shockingly, shockingly bad.” 

A wobbly rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart floats through the open doors of the local pub, invading the night with flat, tuneless melody. From our picnic bench on the docks, every karaoke performance has been crystal clear. We hear every note, every fumbled lyric and pre-emptive, spirited launch into the chorus even though there’s an entire verse to go. Jen swore that we’d have more fun as a group if we went in and watched it, complete with the overdramatic physical performances, but Shane objected. He says he has a hard time coping with embarrassing things. He can’t watch other people fail miserably, and while I’m the opposite and thrive on it, I still prefer our seats at this comfortable distance, right by the barrier to the sea where the fishing boats bob serenely on black water. Being away from the karaoke minimises the chances that Liam will force me to include myself. I can’t sing. I am completely tone deaf, so it’s better that I steer clear of that microphone and all others.

I didn’t want to come out tonight anyway, I’ve been pretty tied up with all my wallowing, but Jen refused to take no for an answer, the same way that she has refused to let me order spirits from the bar. It’s beer for me only until she can trust me to act reasonably again. Not that I’ve made any attempts to contact Michelle since last week's ordeal, not even through email, where sometimes, when I log on to contact various students in Berlin about housing, I see her name there and the last email I ever sent her. It was just study materials, and I should delete them and move on, but I can’t. I’m stuck. it feels too final.

But the night is clear and the conversations are flowing, and if I don’t think about anything outside of my immediate experience then one could argue that things are going well, that there's no need for me to feel unsettled. What’s not to love about a night by the water with friends? It’s what the summer is for. I should be trying harder to enjoy myself. 

There’s distant chatter as two girls step out of the bar. I recognise them. It’s Kelly and her friend from the tennis court. The blonde one. Shane perks up in recognition and waves. She waves back. 

“Who’s that?” I ask him. 

“Claire. My sister’s friend.”

“Right, from school or something?”

“Yeah, from Tullamore.”

They’re coming over now, at least Claire is while Kelly drags her feet behind and does her best to look disinterested, but if Claire notices her friend's reluctance she doesn’t show it. She’s smiling, a wide, even smile as she hops onto the dock and greets us all with a confident, “Hello everyone!”

Shane runs a hand over the top of his head, “Hi, were you- were ye in doing the karaoke and stuff like that?”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t sing because I’m awful at it, but Kelly did.”

Kelly, hanging back in the shadows, grunts and keeps her arms crossed.

“Oh, was that you caterwauling Bonnie Tyler just there?” He teases, “Sounding absolutely diabolical?”

“No,” she snips, “I sang something else, Claire, can we just go sit over there or something?”

“Yeah in a minute. You didn’t feel like singing, Shane, no?”

“No,” he laughs self consciously, “I don’t think you’d have liked to have heard that. I’m no singer at all. I’d be brutal.”

“Ah c’mon, I’m sure that’s not true! Sure you're good at everything.” She’s got a very sing-songy, country kind of accent, high and feminine, but what’s most interesting about her voice is the things it seems to do to Shane. Every time she speaks to him his cheeks turn pinker. 

“Ah, well, no,” he lets out a goofy laugh and goes back to touching his hair, “I don’t think anybody would have liked to hear me,” He peers around her for a moment and looks back towards the pub, “Where’s Evie?”

“Oh, she’s with Liam.”

A pause, “Oh right. As in, they’re singing?”

“They were,” Kelly pipes up, “But they went off.”

“Off where?”

“To shift.”

“Evie is shifting Liam?”

“Yeah. Who else would do it?”

This tickles Joe, “Aw lads! Liam is off with some girl? That’s so funny. What do you think is wrong with her? Blind? Would you say? Or blind and deaf?”

Kasper laughs once the joke is explained to him, and I make a deliberate point of not joining in, because Jen’s warning eyes are on me like a hawk. I will be nice to Liam this summer. I will. 

We hang out with Claire for a while, chatting and pretending we’re not aware of Shane’s blatant crush on her while Kelly sulks on another bench alone, pointedly checking the time on her flip phone and sighing about how they’d better get back to the caravan park soon. 

Claire doesn’t notice, and I find it satisfying. 

Eventually we break off into our own conversations and let Shane and Claire talk on their own, and I wonder if he’s going to do anything about it this summer, if he’ll ever find the courage. Shane’s always been shy with girls, it’s just how he is. Always reluctant, always hanging in the background waiting until he’s absolutely sure about any mutual feelings to say anything to them. Maybe focussing on him like some sort of project would help to keep my mind off my own stuff. Is that a normal thing to think?

Claire raises a hand and calls to someone behind us. We turn around, and it’s just Liam. Liam, holding hands with a girl, which is interesting because it’s an unusual sight, but not interesting enough to interrupt my conversation with Jen. I look away and continue talking about the things I’ve been googling about Berlin. 

“You can’t mow your lawn on Sunday, that’s another thing.” I say, and she scrunches up her face, “You don’t mow the lawn.”

“Yes but if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

“I’m sure you could, they might just frown upon it.”

“It seems restrictive though, doesn’t it?”

A shrug, “Maybe they respect silence. And in that case you might have a hard time fitting in.”

“I can be silent.”

“You can’t even whisper normally,”

“What? I can. Yes I can.”

Shane, who is now standing by the end of the table with Claire, Liam and his girl-friend, throws an arm around the brunette’s and interrupts us before I can argue my case and prove to Jen just how well I can whisper.

“Lads, this is Evie by the way. She’s another one of Kelly’s friends from home in Tullamore.” 

We have to do the whole thing of going around the table and introducing ourselves, even though I don’t really have much interest in who this random girl is. “Jude,” I say when we get to me, and Jen gives me a tight smile like I should be making more effort. What else does she want from me? This whole being nice thing is starting to feel akin to a totalitarian regime.

“Good to meet you,” Evie says with a smile. She’s tense and overly formal.  

“Good to meet you too.”

Claire leaps in excitedly,  “Shane was telling me about the house they’ve all been staying in. It sounds unreal. It’s way up the beach where all those modern mansion places are, they’ve got a big outdoor deck and a fire and everything.”

“Sounds cool,” Evie says, and then Shane explains that it belongs to my parents, that they’ve let us use it for the summer while leaving out all the juicy bits about how they can’t risk being trapped in it together for the summer in case they kill each other, which is why the care of it has fallen to me. All I have to do is make sure that it doesn’t get damaged, that the roof tiles don't fly off in a storm or something. I realise I forgot to clean the puddle off the floor two weeks ago, and remind myself to check if the timber has any marks when we get home. 

Claire goes on, “You were just saying though, Shane, that we could go up and hang out with ye all some time?” 

Shane scratches the back of his neck and shuffles about looking awkward. I wonder if he was trying to invite her over alone. 

But Jen comes to the rescue. “Ugh, yes please.” She says. “I’m getting sick of hanging out with only boys, so I’d be delighted if the two of you came up to visit.”

Evie glances at Kelly, forgotten but not gone, still on the bench. “Maybe three of us?”

“If she’ll be seen with us.” Shane calls over his shoulder, and his sister flips her middle finger at him. 

I’m amused. Three of them? Are they forgetting the obvious fourth party? “Four of you, including Liam?” I say.

“Oh yeah, well, obviously I thought that went without saying,” Evie smiles at him, tucking hair behind her ears and he smiles back. He’s delighted. He feels lucky. He’s got a smudge of her makeup on the shoulder of his t-shirt.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Jen murmurs. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I suppose.” I say. “Haven't really thought about it.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

Corresponding LG chapter

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Still wild to me that the Avatar team saw a guy write a love story between a stick and a monkey and were like "This is the guy who we need to write Rangshi and Yangvik" and then he ended up making two of the best couples in all of the Avatar-verse TT0TT

[floralpowders]

In Routine - Gepard x GN!Reader

Summary: You and Gepard have been well acquainted now for a while, and Gepard wants to find the courage to ask you on a date. 

I don’t really remember how I started writing this. I’m pretty sure it was while I was going through Serval’s companion quest and while sobbing over Serval, I somehow started this so…here it is! As my second x reader lol

All fluff!

Word Count: 817

It’s fair to say that Gepard was…beyond nervous. The two of you have been getting along well with one another, and he couldn’t help but grow fonder and fonder over you by the minute until what was once manageable conversations became a test of endurance to see how long he could talk to you without growing red in the face or stammering through his words.

So, it was very clear in his face that he had something or someone on his mind. If you ask him about it, he’ll argue it must be that the two of you were so close to one of the local heaters that reside all across Belobog (even if you really weren’t, but perhaps all those layers of armor was finally getting to Gepard). 

However, if you don’t ask him about it, Serval would be quick to pick up the task to tease him: pinch his cheek and tease her little baby brother about his newfound crush and urge him to just confess already. She even goes so far as to try and offer Gepard some help in how to ask out whoever the cutie that stole Gepard’s heart is, which Gepard has to turn down because no way would he allow his sister to have more reasons to tease him. 

After some time of practicing — on his own, not with Serval — he finally settles on a plan. The next time he would see you, that will be when he finally asks you out.

He approaches you, his face as stoic as usual, but if you take a closer look, the corner of his lip twitches, his brows curtly furrowing for only a second — little signs of his nervousness when it comes to you. 

He had planned. He had practiced…and yet— 

“If you have the time, would you, uh…. How would you…Would you be able to accompany me with…” 

Then he blanks. The Captain of the Silvermane Guards blanks, and his face bursts red.

But he needs to say something because now you’re staring at him with those beautiful eyes of yours.

“Would you… be able to accompany me on patrol?” He forces out at the speed of wind. 

That? He was going with that? Oh, he can imagine Serval laughing at him now. This was his chance to make this special, and he chose to do something so…mundane. Something he’d always ask you to do. 

But because it’s something he always asks of you, you agree to come along (though his stuttering may have gotten your attention. He has been stuttering a lot more lately, though).

So the two of you go on your way, following the same patrol route that Gepard always takes you…but something is different. 

It would be silent from time to time between the two of you when Gepard was focused on being vigilant to his surroundings, but it wouldn’t be so silent that the two of you just never spoke.

You find yourself in this unfamiliar silence between Gepard as though the walls of Belobog came down between the two of you as you walked on. 

In actuality, Gepard had no idea what he was doing from here on. He was aware of how eerily silent it was between the two of you. He was trying to think of a way to make it better but not make it awkward because this was what the two of you usually did anyways, and yet he intended this to be more. If only he hadn’t gotten his tongue tied…

Eventually, the guilt catches up with him; he needs to be honest with you. He stops the two of you in the middle of your walk and apologizes. 

“I…didn’t actually require your company with me during this patrol….The truth is I had wanted to ask you if you’d accompany me for a date…but I failed to overcome my fear. I apologize.” 

It was so stiff, even for Gepard. He knew that, and he felt a little ashamed of that. 

“I understand if you have better things to do. I won’t fault you if you must go after this.” 

But little did he know that you also had feelings for him — long, unspoken feelings for him, and now it was your turn to confess your feelings back. 

He’ll look at you, both flustered and mildly distraught that you love him despite such a blundering attempt to court you, but more than anything, he was so happy that you returned feelings. 

“If that’s the case,” Gepard clears his throat, “Then let me ask you out properly some time.” 

You agree to wait for him then, but you can’t help but smile at him and assure him, “For the record, Gepard, I also like being on patrol with you.”  

Give him a while after that; he needs some time to recover before he tries to ask you out. Properly, this time.