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lavenoon · 7 months

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Asterisms (~5.6K)

*An asterism is an observed pattern or group of stars in the sky. Asterisms can be any identified pattern or group of stars, and therefore are a more general concept than the 88 formally defined constellations.

Bloodstain Fool by @naffeclipse, og detective au by sunnys-aesthetic

menace4menace one-shots in order: Falling into Orbit, Conjunction, [You are here]

A bit of a disclaimer/ context: There is another drabble that will be referenced in this one, but I wrote it as a vent when I was in a very bad spot mentally and never cleaned it up, so it's now unfortunately in the "canon to the menace4menace storyline but too raw to share" limbo. You don't need to know the details to understand though (I hope). It does end with another sleepover, so that's where we start off here!

“So, are we friends now?”

You take another bite from your breakfast apple, legs crossed on the couch. Eclipse at his desk tenses, his shoulders rising, and the scratch of his pen coming to an abrupt halt. But he doesn’t turn back, doesn’t spare you his standard glare.

After a moment, he continues writing, as if you never said anything. That’s just fine — you’re too stubborn to stop now.

“Because comforting someone during a breakdown is kind of friend behavior.”

Impossibly, he tenses further. From the way his writing sounds he’ll soon tear through the paper and just start carving onto the desk.

“You were talking nonsense and I simply corrected you. If you interpret that as comfort, that is not my problem.”

You hope he feels how scathing your disdain is through vibes alone as you direct a deadpan stare at his back.

He probably doesn’t know what “vibes” are.

“You invited me over too.”

“And you owe me for that.”

Fine, then. If he insists on framing it as more debt that he’ll hardly be able to collect you can let it go. Otherwise you’ll just back him into a corner of stubbornness, and something tells you he’s the type to double down.

It does mean you spare him the mention of the blanket. A soft red throw currently protecting you from sticking to the leather of the couch. Eclipse refused to acknowledge its existence, much less elaborate on the reason for the new addition to his couch yesterday, and you weren’t in the mood to ask either. The afternoon was stressful enough.

You sigh.

“Okay, sure. You can start a little tally on the back of the I.O.U. note I already gave you.”

Some of the tension leaves his shoulders, and you almost want to sigh again. How exhausting to see everything as transactional.

“No need. I remember.”

The question about animatronic memory dies a quiet death on the tip of your tongue — at the last second you decide it’s not a good idea to imply doubt right now. Instead you take another bite from your apple, and chew. Hopefully you can drop this conversation after. It didn’t really go the way you wanted it to.

Just to make sure it sticks you decide to change the topic entirely.

“What are you writing?”

There’s the softest huff as his shoulders drop further. The defeat is evident, and you press your lips together to keep a grin down. Friends or not, he’s learned his lesson about your stubbornness.

You’ll get him on the friendship, too, sooner or later.

“A report.”

Oh, he wants to be like that. Fine. You’ll play.

“On what?”

The pen stops for a moment, then continues.

“The latest bounty I apprehended.”

“You have to write reports on that?”

In a way, it makes sense — you just didn’t think about it before. But you’re no stranger to writing reports, and detailing the events of how a certain bounty was caught seems reasonable.

Eclipse turns to look at you for the first time, and his expression is about as tired as an animatronic could manage to look.

“Yes. It’s not like the movies.”

You take another bite from your apple as you keep up the eye contact, and then he turns back. Seems like your silence was enough of a concession for him.

Leaning back against the couch, you’re just thinking that you don’t miss writing reports one bit.

“Reports suck. My condolences.”

Eclipse doesn’t stop writing to look back, but you do hear the soft static sound of a laugh.

“Speaking from experience?”

You chuckle softly, matching him. Writing reports and bills - the worst part of your chosen career.

“Yup.”

He hums.

“Is that why you haven’t made any efforts to work again?”

Well, not quite — looking for work hasn’t been on your list of priorities without the immediate pressure of paying for your lodging. An oversight, you’ll admit, given that you can’t rely on your boarded room forever. But without any credentials, without your degree or even an ID you don’t really know where to start, hypothetically.

Besides, even if you wanted to, you know that research has to go through a few more necessary steps before you can consider picking up your former work again.

So you shrug, even though he can’t see.

“Eh, mostly I don’t think my job field exists yet. Caring about kids with learning disabilities was a pretty recent development even in my time.”

This time, the pause feels heavier than before.

“... You worked with children?”

You have no idea how to read his tone. Not angry, you don’t think, but there’s something that you just cannot make sense of. It sparks something defensive in you, even though you can’t tell if it’s judgement coloring his voice. You chose your job for a reason, and you know it’s a good one.

“Yeah, I mean. No one gave a fuck about my problems in school growing up. I didn’t want that for other kids.”

“Hm.”

That’s… It’s not acknowledgement, but it’s also not a rebuke. You don’t know what to make of it.

You’ll poke the bear just one more time.

“You don’t like children?”

That poke went through. Eclipse carefully sets his pen down, and turns his head your way. Just his head - it’s unsettling, and you flinch at the suddenness. You wonder if that was exactly his intention when he narrows his darkened eyes at you.

“Continue this line of questioning and you’ll find that I absolutely will kick you out.”

There isn’t a hint of humor in his voice, nor even a crumb of softness. This time you decide not to bet on that being a bluff. Not with those eyes. You shrink back, hunched on the couch and pondering the nearly finished apple in your hand. Eclipse turns back, you think. You only hear the click of his neck and then the scratch of his pen again.

The lump in your throat grows at the renewed tension that you don’t know how to alleviate. Maybe just a straightforward approach — you did push him too far.

“I’m sorry, I won’t ask again. I just care about them.”

This time, the scratch of his pen only stutters, but doesn’t stop. You’ll take that as progress, even if his tone is still hard.

“You got to be a child.”

You think back to your childhood, and the responsibilities you had to take on much too early. A huff of air escapes as a sigh before you can stop it. There’s nothing you really process as you stare off into space. The smile you manage twitches pathetically before you let it fall again.

“I guess, for a while.”

Still longer than Eclipse got to be one though, to be fair.

This time you sigh on purpose, and extract yourself from the blanket. Folding it is a bit hard with only one free hand available, but you at least don’t leave it as a scrunched up mess. You ramble on a bit, just to put out any metaphorical fires you might have set.

“I’m filing this away as another thing I shouldn’t ask about. I won’t pry, and I get that you probably have complicated feelings about it. I have my own, different ones. We can both be justified. I’ll drop it now. Gonna wash up a bit.”

Without giving him any opportunity to reply you slink into the kitchen, disposing of the apple core before escaping further into the bathroom.

Not a lot you can do in here without your toiletries, and you don’t think Eclipse has a habit of expecting human visitors, much less preparing for their needs. The blanket already was a surprise, after all. You’ll just have to deal with a bit of discomfort until you make it back to your room.

Maybe Eclipse is right. You are awfully curious, and there are a lot of lines you don’t know you’re crossing until you’ve waltzed right over them. He has every right to set those boundaries, and maybe you could learn a little tact. At least you can try. After the unexpected kindness he showed you, no matter how much he denies it, you really do owe him that.

For now you’ll just not mention kids again, and definitely change the topic once you’re back out.

Carefully you reemerge, and assess the situation from the entrance to the living room. Eclipse is still writing his report, focused and quiet, but his shoulders are relaxed. Well, as much as you’ve ever seen him relaxed. There is of course the pure physical difference — maybe he doesn’t have to relax as much as humans do to really feel the effect.

You’ve seen him tense for sure. More often than not, which only exacerbates the thought that he doesn’t know how to truly relax.

Not that you do, either. It’s not rest if you feel guilty for resting, occupying your thoughts with more anxiety, and that’s unfortunately what you keep doing, again and again.

Yesterday, in the park — that was the latest botched attempt to relax for once. And that didn’t do jack shit for your mind until Eclipse came by and poked you until you spilled it all. Kinder than he gives himself credit for, but just as blunt as you needed. Hard to argue that self deprecation is deserved with nearly ten foot of all that glaring down at you and calling you out on your bullshit.

Not that he did in so many words, but his threats were convincing in the moment. Now you’re just left wondering.

Apparently you stare just a little too long.

“What?”

The question is curt and somewhat grumpy — the familiar grumpy, and thus leagues better than the hostile tone from before.

You don’t think. It’s a bad habit.

“Could you throw me?”

Eclipse straightens in his chair, pausing his writing again. You don’t know what to make of that, even with his pointed follow up.

“Excuse you?”

Any other person might agree that you’ve made some very unwise decisions, and this is barrelling towards yet another added to the ever growing tally. However, you’re you, and as long as he doesn’t sound outright hostile you don’t see the harm in elaborating.

“Yesterday, you said you’d throw me in the pond if I don’t shut up. I’m not asking you to, just if you actually could.”

You watch as he sets the pen down, this time turning on the chair to face you. His stare is so deadpan, you’ll need a graveyard for kitchenware stat. Slowly, and without looking away he rises.

That doesn’t bode well for you. On instinct you wave your hands through the air, though you don’t have much hope.

“I said you don’t need to prove it!”

While Eclipse is deceptively calm in his approach, you’re not oblivious enough to believe him. You duck, not quite a crouch, but you’re keyed up already. Your options are limited and you don’t have time to think - and then he’s past the coffee table, and you make a break for it down the hallway.

Hearing him laugh definitely isn’t reassuring.

You’re just reaching for the bathroom door when his hands wrap around your middle, and you screech. Or laugh, you aren’t quite sure. Unceremoniously you’re whipped back, your safe haven back out of reach. Eclipse lets go only for a moment, and only to turn you into a position facing him.

That grin is not reassuring. It might be the happiest you’ve seen him yet.

Before you can even begin to process that contradiction his hands are on you again, and then you’re up.

You blink. Rare enough you get to look him in the eyes on face level.

“Does this answer your question?”

And still he sounds so happy. In a strange way, it makes sense. Maybe. If you think about it — a playful, if extremely short chase that lets him show off how big and scary he is, without any of the risks his job usually involves. It’s not even like he’s holding you particularly tightly. The pressure from his hold is mostly under your arms, and that’s gravity from dangling, not him grabbing too hard.

Just as you think about it, his fingers loosen around you even more. Just a hint, and you are still held securely, but a noticeable change. Before, he felt bad about the bruises he left on accident, and now he’s trying to adjust? Is that it?

And yet, all that combined with his unbearably smug attitude.

You suppress a grin, just barely, and decide to deflect. This morning has had enough realizations and tense conversations.

“... Do I even weigh anything to you?”

The bubble of happiness bursts, and he narrows his eyes again with a scoff. Seamlessly he turns, back towards the living room, and just for a moment you brush your fingers against the ceiling. Also rare enough you get to do that, even in places that aren’t housing a ridiculously tall animatronic.

He ducks under the doorway, and for a second you hope to touch ground again. None of that.

“At worst you’re a burden on my mind.”

The dissonance between the way he’s still holding you and the venom in his voice is too great, so you promptly decide to disregard the latter. Actions over words, or something. And sure, there are nicer ways to tell someone you think about them a lot, but this is the guy who doesn’t believe in friendship.

You pat his shoulder, and close your eyes for posterity.

“I’m flattered. You should have said ‘No, it’s like holding a couple of grapes.’”

When you open your eyes again you’re met with a narrow-eyed glare, radiating suspicion. Also, you have to look up again. If you weigh so little to him, the only explanation is that he wants to be taller. You file that hypothesis away for another time, when you have access to walls to climb on.

For now, Eclipse has caught onto the fact that you continue sprinkling memes into your conversations.

“I’m not saying that.”

He dips you a little lower, and then many things happen at once. Air breezing past you, and his hands no longer holding you up — but you’re not just falling.

No, the bastard did throw you.

The springs of the couch creak as you land on it butt first, and your back hits the armrest at an angle.

“Oof.”

Unaffected by your suffering, Eclipse brushes past you to settle back at his desk.

“Now let me finish my report, or I’m kicking you out.”

His shoulders are lower, again. You smile.

Then, with a soft chuckle, you right yourself, twisting to face him even as he doesn’t face you.

“Actually, can we do it the other way round? I wanna ask one more thing -”

Before you get to finish he’s already turning back, eyes narrow in warning. You throw your hands up placatingly and continue without pause.

“Nothing about you, stop looking at me like that. After that I’ll leave and you have the entire rest of this beautiful day to engage in boring as fuck work stuff.”

Because he did remind you of that issue creeping closer and closer, and you have not the slightest idea how to go about fixing it before it all goes south.

For a sigh, he slumps. A bit theatrically, you want to say, especially when he starts rubbing his forehead in exasperation, too — well, notably, the little swirl, just above his eye. Reminds you of when you did the same, just gentler.

“I feel like that will be a welcome reprieve after your exciting presence.”

Right, back to the conversation. You click your tongue and flutter your eyelashes innocently.

“Ahw, you just keep flattering me.”

If you ever decide to measure how narrow his eyes go, you’d need to pinch your fingers together, and he’d definitely take offense. You’re tempted all the more.

“Ask your question before I change my mind, you menace.”

So he doesn’t mind the question. Could have said so in a few more words, but you’ll take it. After another little dig — you have your dignity to defend. You straighten and level your own haughty scowl at him.

“Says the guy who just threw me on the couch.”

His hand still set on the table tightens into a fist.

“Star.”

Right, the question. You lean back, bouncing slightly on the couch.

“Fine, fine. Where could I work? Without any proof of my existence or education?”

Right now, you’re boarding for free, but your conscience is starting to weigh on you. As ideal as it is, that’s not how things work, and you’ll need a source of income if you don’t want to be dependent on other people’s goodwill.

Eclipse’s expression sours, and his shoulders droop with an overly exaggerated sigh.

“I suppose it’s in my favor too if you get some faked documents. I’ll just need some additional information.”

He really just jumped past a few steps you didn’t expect to be that easy of a hurdle. Then again, his legs are a lot longer, sure it’s easier for him. You can roll with that.

There is no way you’re going to bring your name into this though. If you already get to reinvent yourself…

Or, even better -

“Sure. Can I have the last name Smith?”

“Smith?”

The suspicion is palpable, though he doesn’t seem to get the joke. That’s no problem, you’ll gladly help him out. No ulterior motives at all.

“Yeah! Like the ‘I’m here undercover so I’m picking the most obvious fake name ever’ name.”

His expression tells you everything you need to know about what he thinks of that idea.

You smile, and remain silent. The proof that you can shut up. And if the timing just so happens to also make it prove that you can be a menace even without opening your mouth, well, that’s between you and your steadily growing grin. The moment stretches as Eclipse’s eyes narrow further, and his next sigh bursts with frustrated static as he turns away.

“Why did I ever think you just being quiet would be enough?”

Mumbling to himself he rummages through a drawer, and you sit up on your knees to catch a glimpse of loose pens and papers and paperclips.

“Silence is golden, after all. I didn’t have to say anything to annoy you.”

Words are one thing, actions another. You take the notepad and pencil he holds out to you, and settle back on the couch.

“You’re a walking headache. And here I thought I was immune.”

“You keep saying that, and yet you keep inviting me back. I don’t think I’m that bad, or you’re a masochist.”

Oh, oh and you thought you knew his bad glares. But this one is just a tad too disbelieving — did you really have the audacity to say that? — and rather than doing the proper self preserving thing and apologize, or something, you just snort.

Eclipse has had enough of you.

“Just write down the information you want. If it’s ridiculous, I’m not getting it. If anything’s missing, I’m making up the least flattering filler possible.”

Again he turns back, and you dutifully write down all the info he could need. Your desired name (including the Smith), age, and height - and then stop at the gender. After a moment of deliberation you doodle a little mischievous cat face and carry on. You think your birth town already exists, so you note it down too. What else, what else…

For a minute or two, the room is silent except for the scratch of two pens.

Once you’re done (at least as done as you can be without knowing what information exactly is necessary) you stand up, dusting yourself off just to stall for time. By the time you step next to Eclipse at the desk and hold out the notepad again he too has put down his pen. You shake the pad once before he takes it.

“All done.”

“Good. Now get out of here.”

He stashes the pencil back in the drawer, but the notepad he leaves on the desk. Doesn’t even spare you a last glance before he picks up his pen again. There’s no fight to be won here, so you just snort and step away. Overstaying your welcome is not something you’re particularly interested in, and you’ve already teetered the edge for a while now.

Except you stop at the entrance to the living room, one hand on the doorframe. There’s a lot left unsaid, both because you’re embarrassed still about your little breakdown, and because Eclipse is about as emotionally aware as a rock and pricklier than a cactus. But if you’re leaving now anyway…

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you turn back. Eclipse is still writing.

“Hey, Eclipse?”

“Yes?”

He draws out the sound, clearly annoyed. Woe is him, you haven’t actually left his apartment yet.

“Thank you, again.”

Just like any time before, he stiffens at the expression of gratitude. At least he doesn’t notice your smile in response, given that you manage to suppress the amused huff.

You’re undeterred.

“You’re a better person than you give yourself credit for. Though if I may recommend a different succulent to emulate, aloe would be a much more pleasant alternative.”

He turns on his chair after just a moment of processing your barb, a growl already building up. But before he catches you with his glare you’re laughing, and dipping into the hallway.

“See you soon!”

“Don’t you dare!”

But for all his posturing, he doesn’t chase you again — doesn’t chase you out. After just demonstrating how easy it would be for him, that speaks volumes.

Oh, you’ll definitely see him again soon. Life would be much too boring otherwise.

—

It’s a few days before you see Eclipse again, and by pure chance, too. For once, you’re out and about with a purpose, and seeing a bounty hunter isn’t it.

No one will fault you for a detour, though.

Especially not when you see that he’s talking to someone - a man, wearing nondescript worker’s clothes, and not the kind of work Eclipse engages in. No, this is someone your eyes would simply pass over in a vintage photograph of a street scene, or some sort of group shot.

So Mr. No Friends has other reasons to communicate with people — and you’re just dying to know about what.

Your current position puts you at Eclipse’s back, and that’s where you prefer to be for now. Means he won’t see you until it’s too late, and you’re already close enough to listen in. So you step closer, carefully and quietly, though you make no secret out of your curiosity. With your eyes on Eclipse you creep closer, arms crossed behind your back. You lean forward just slightly, like that will put you closer to the conversation.

And then you get spotted.

“I saw him last around — Sorry, who’s your friend?”

Your automatic smile stiffens as you drop your gaze to the speaker. Those narrow eyes are nothing compared to what Eclipse will look like when he sees you’ve been eavesdropping.

“My -”

Eclipse turns, a wide eyed glare finding you quickly. Think of the devil. Rage simmers just below the surface, and you remember the last time you announced yourself as his friend. Your smile twitches, and you direct a wave at Eclipse’s not-friend. An informant, maybe? That would fit into his broody bounty hunter reputation.

The impulsive part of your brain supplies a feathery Eclipse as a chicken-puddle as he clucks offendedly, and you decide to talk before you start laughing.

“Oh, no, I just owe him.”

Somehow, you feel like his glare is worse now.

Maybe-Informant scowls, then turns back to Eclipse.

“You’re branching out, huh? Anyways, I last saw him lurking around the industrial area, hiding out in different warehouses. Lots of people on his tail these days, might be a hassle finding him in that maze.”

Definitely an informant then. Your curiosity is officially sated, even at the cost of Eclipse once again being mad at you.

“I’ll find him. Keep an eye out.”

He turns so suddenly that you end up taking a step back, to no avail. His hand wraps around your upper arm, though the grip isn’t tight — but his fingertips touch. Just so, and no tighter, and then he’s dragging you after him.

For a second, you contemplate making a show of it. Back of the hand to your forehead, pretend despair at being dragged away. You decide against it, because you don’t actually want to make Eclipse’s reputation worse, and you also remember why he started helping you out in the first place.

So instead, you opt for a wave. It reaches nothing but air. You don’t even see the informant anymore, and don’t get the chance to look around either before Eclipse drags you off into an alley.

At least he starts talking before you get to voice your comment about risqué behavior during daylight hours. You’re in deep enough trouble as is.

“What are you doing here?”

You shrug, the motion pulling his hand up before he lets go of your arm. Not that he looks any happier, but also not like you aren’t used to that by now. You’ve seen him really angry, and this isn’t it.

“Job hunting.”

Nonchalant as the response is, his reaction is the opposite. You’re pretty sure you see his eyelid twitch.

“Job - I haven’t even gotten you your papers yet!”

Alright, maybe you’re just a little impatient. Indignance pulls up your shoulders again, and you pace down the alleyway to gesture at nothing.

“I know, but I got bored! So I came up with a story that will keep most people from asking questions - saying you left Germany as fast as possible at the cost of documentation is apparently very easy to believe. We’re not exactly popular. Now everyone pities me instead of focusing on the everything else, which does play into my hand.”

Eclipse stays and watches you, deceptively calm where you are restless. You trail to a stop and look at him, trying to gauge his reaction.

It comes out almost impressed.

“... You’re more devious than I thought.”

Uh oh, can’t give him standards. You wave off the questionable compliment and step closer again, even if it means you have crane up your neck higher. The distance between your faces is big enough even if you don’t stand half an alley away.

“Don’t give me too much credit. I didn’t think of that lie any sooner, and I had to prepare contingency plans for multiple possible lines of questioning before I felt safe enough to even attempt telling it to anyone.”

A static rumble of a sigh as he briefly hides his eyes behind a hand.

“This is who I…”

Wait, what? You barely understand the mumble before he trails off, but immediately perk up.

“You what?”

But just as quickly he drops his hand, instead glaring down at you.

“Nothing. Did you have to prepare the other lie too?”

He’s lost you.

“What lie?”

You’re not exactly in the habit of lying, don’t even enjoy this one you came up with.

There’s a twitch to his expression, and when he elaborates, his voice is strained. Considering he’s technically always gritting his teeth this is the first time he sounds like it too.

“That you ‘just’ owe me.”

Oh.

You blink.

Break eye contact to look down.

Hide the manic grin growing on your face.

He’s mad because you denied being his friend.

That’s the only explanation that makes sense to you, the only reason he’d be mad about this. At some point within the past few weeks he’s changed his mind from being allergic to friends to wanting to be yours. Sure, he hasn’t admitted it in so many words. He doesn’t need to. Not with this reaction — and that glare earlier that now makes sense, too.

Maybe he hasn’t even realized it himself.

“Don’t come up with a lie now.”

Oh, stars, if he gets any grumpier about this you absolutely will lose it.

“I’m not. I’m trying not to laugh.”

“What?”

You look back up. The grin is undeniable, and your cheeks are starting to hurt.

Eclipse does not look amused.

“You’re mad because I affirmed your broody loner reputation? I assumed that’s what you want, but I’ll gladly call you my bestie next time.”

He physically flinches back. This look you know, and remember well despite only having seen it once - disgust. But you no longer believe you’re a very squishy bug to him. You really, really want to laugh.

“Do not insinuate we are friends.”

“Why is it an issue then if I ‘just’ owe you?”

“That’s -”

You watch him struggle for a moment, shoulders a tense line as he breaks eye contact to scowl off into space. But only for a moment. After all, there’s giving him time to sort out his thoughts, and torturing him by putting him on the spot.

… Though you’re probably doing that already. All the more reason to intercept.

“You want to be friends.”

Now if only you could reign in the smugness radiating off of you.

Eclipse meanwhile looks terribly offended.

“I do not.”

He’s a better liar than you are, but unfortunately for him, he already gave himself away. You chuckle softly, and lean back against the dingy brick wall behind you to cross your arms. The satisfaction still drips from your tone.

"Wasch mir den Pelz, aber mach mich nicht nass."

His eyes narrow. The tone may be undeniable, but still he doesn’t know what exactly you said, and it only irritates him more. You should talk German to him more often.

When you don’t elaborate after a moment, he growls.

"What?"

Your cheeks really hurt now.

"Wash my fur but don't make me wet. I prefer it over 'you can't have your cake and eat it' because I have it to eat it."

The glare drops into something resigned. He’s gotten used to your bullshit then, and is already tired of it. To be fair, you are doing it on purpose, at least partially. Or maybe more accurately, you are simply embracing being a natural menace.

Eclipse grumbles. Somehow, the sound reminds you of a pissed off cat.

"So now you're insulting me in German."

You close your eyes, though that does nothing to diminish your grin. With a chiding waggle of your finger you continue.

"No, I described the situation. If you interpreted that as an insult that's not my problem."

Oh, yeah, you love being a menace. A glimpse back up shows Eclipse’s hands balled into fists and his eyes closed — maybe counting to ten in his head. You hear it’s supposed to calm you down. You wonder if it works.

His eyes are golden and blazing when he narrows them at you again.

"I detest you."

And you’re much too elated to take him seriously.

"You want to be my friend."

Still allergic to the word, his shoulders rise in defense. If he narrows his eyes any further, they’ll be closed.

"I experienced a momentary lapse in judgement. I'm cured now."

And yet, he hasn’t left. Is “shit-eating grin” an expression yet?

It takes enormous effort to tamper it down into something good natured, and shrug innocently. Bat your eyes just to really sell the act.

"Sure. Whenever you want another sleepover just hit me up."

Eclipse’s expression jerks. You drop your gaze to watch his hands, and catch them on the tail-end of unfurling. Instead, he crosses them, and apparently decides to just ignore your offer.

“I have work to do. And you, little Star, want to get out of this part of town.”

You click your tongue and lift one hand up to your heart, fluttering your lashes in adoration.

“Ahw, you care about me!”

There’s that lemon face you love!

“Leave before I lose the rest of my sanity!”

He’s all coiled tension, ready to go off as he extracts one arm to point towards the main road. If you tease him any more, he might just start steaming like a cartoon. … Probably less than ideal as an animatronic.

Better to call it a day here. Placatingly you wave your hands, though you can’t help the soft laugh that escapes with your words.

“Yes, yes. You take your non-breather breather.”

Rather than acknowledge your parting comment he just turns, walking further down the alley. There are other little backstreets, so maybe he plans on leaving that way.

Your cue to go then, too. You’ll take the main road, not because he told you, but because even you have enough self preservation skills to realize that traversing an unfamiliar network of seedy alleys in the late afternoon rapidly turning evening is a bad idea.

But still you hesitate at the crossroads. You didn’t really say goodbye, and somehow that doesn’t sit right with you. Though getting mushy on Eclipse is probably worse than being a menace, so you turn for one last tease.

The narrow walls carry your voice, and all the delight in it too.

“Bye, bestie!”

You laugh at his frustrated roar from deeper in the alley, and dip around the corner. There, gave him enough to chew on.

Let him stew in those thoughts.

#post let luce #dcamv #bloodstain fool #menace4menace #my fic #i am also already 2k plus into the next one so.#self indulgence go brr #im okay btw no one worry bc of that vent #sometimes u cant be nice to yourself but can filter reason through blorbo and call yourself out #i also keep getting distracted from tagging bc i have to do on mobile bc tumblr decided to be a little BITCH <3 #yknow what i can just shut up i do not NEED to tag ramble lmao fsgbj #enjoy <3

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pansear-doodles · 10 months

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what inspired your designs of your anthro au slugcats?

it is no secret that i am a furry (though i am not in the fandom) and that i enjoy media mostly consisting of nonhuman characters. i really loved the concept of zootopia or the general idea of humanized animals living in a modernized city.

to combine that aspect with rain world where most of its setting is in ruin, initially i want to make that funny stark contrast- a break away from the serious and depressing tones the game has. but i got a bit very experimental and decided that i want to make a mix of that theme while putting my own spins.

so yeah

nick wilde hunter rain world

most of my anthro au's concepts are borrowed from my oc concept created before, which in turn is inspired by a variety of other things. if we are talking design wise, i do take the elements from my ocs and put it onto my anthros. heres one example

this is Piggy! they're my reimagining of pigsy from the famous chinese novel Journey to the West. he is a scientist, a doctor and a chef. he is in a gang of friends who do rambunctious activities. is that and his appearance familiar to you? my gourmand carries a lot of those characteristics.

if you glance at my art fight roster, there's a lot of these comparisons.

here's another one

this is Rook. he's trained in the military. he once had someone he cared about but lost in a freak incident. pretty much scarred from it. has a soft spot for children. i have grabbed some aspects from him onto my arti kinda, but rook is more stern than my depiction of arti i think

i wish i can talk about my ocs, but again, i dont wanna linger on for too long on them dsfasfsdaf

#ask

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cooliogirl101 · 1 year

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what are your top 10 bingqiu fics?

Note: These are not in any particular order of preference because I can't possibly rank these, I love them all so much.

High Mountain, How I Long by Minimalistness: This fic is just...beautifully done. The author portrays the emotions so deeply on both sides and it hurts in the very best way, yet the ending is so soft and treats the characters so gently...gahh. Only good things to say about this one.

System Restore by Straightforwardly: Short but excellent. I need more fics centered around SQQ just absolutely overwhelming Binghe with affection because that shit is A++.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks by nyoomer: This fic honestly made me cry, every part of it is perfect. The ending is slightly bittersweet but ends on a very hopeful note and it's just all-around an incredible story.

Plastromancy by x_los: Creepy in the best way, if you like Coraline you will adore this fic. Warning for body horror-- it's not too graphic, but definitely present. Does a very good job of portraying the monstrous edge to LBH's devotion.

to love another (and to learn yourself) by nyoomer: yet another fantastic fic by nyoomer (all their fics are fantastic tbh), starring OG!LBH and SY. Wonderful study on redemption, forgiveness, and trying to be better. The character development in this fic is fantastic and I love the way SY stands up to Bingge in this one.

Scum Villain AUs by Feynite: A collection of SVSSS mini-fics, as the name suggests. Honestly all these AUs are super creative and well-written but my favorites are the supervillain, genderbend, and dragon monster AUs.

How to stop being strung along by a guy and get what you deserve by x-los: Another amazing fic by one of my favorite authors. Red string of fate soulmates AU and I adore the potential implications here. LBH figuring out who SQQ is immediately and helping him adjust to the PIDW world? Yes please. My only complaint for this fic is that there isn't more of it.

Unfinished Business by kitsunealyc: Basically SJ dies and is reincarnated as SY (where he gets some much needed therapy) and then reincarnates back as SQQ, and tries his best to stop the whole generational trauma thing in its tracks. The whole redemption and healing process is done so, so well done here. I usually don't like OG!LBH/OG!SQQ fics but in this one they both go through so much character development (and besides, SQQ and SY are the same person here). Also, this has one of my favorite lines in a fanfic ever-- "In hate or in love, if Shen Qingqiu placed second in Luo Binghe's esteem, no one would dare to claim first." Like?? Literary genius.

but every day still new to wake up by millepertuis: This fic has it all-- humor, wholesome moments, denial, thirst (on Binghe's part-- SQQ is, of course, oblivious), hurt/comfort. I lost this fic once and spent over 2 hours trying to find it again and it was worth every bit of that time.

To Conquer an Emperor by zarasu: SY transmigrates into one of LBH's wives. I think this fic gets better as it progresses and I love the concept (Rachel for Leah by x_los is the other SY reincarnates into one of LBH's wives fic that I really love) and the character development for LBH is excellent. Also the latest chapter? LBH's self-loathing and self-doubt meets SY's unconditional acceptance? Yes please.

BONUS:

Sit With Your Soul by Tossawary: Not bingqiu but this is one of my top 3 svsss fics ever, basically it's a daemon!AU where SY transmigrates into SJ's daemon. The focus is on platonic SY/SJ but SY's interactions with LBH in this fic are adorable as well. One of my favorite characterizations of SJ.

#svsss #fic rec #also if you’ve read any of these fics please come talk to me about them #seriously I want someone to talk about svsss with

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pyrriax · 2 months

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for once, i'm here with something a little different!

my gift for @cowboyjeremiah for the @mcyt-valentines exchange is this playlist :D

apologies for the delay with your gift! i had a fic planned (and am including what i have written here, while planning to get it out and properly gifted to you as soon as possible) but got hit with pain & life, so i'll do my best to explain the major concepts!

Warm candlelight all around soaks the room in its gentle glow, even as the spring sun begins to set outside. Everything is covered in the swirl of soft pink and white, cherry petals collecting in every crevice and making hiding places out of spots nobody thinks to look. And just outside the window stands someone who Branzy hasn't seen in months. Clown is back, after so long away, off in the Fray, off fighting and returning only blood soaked and staining the ground in crimson and gold. None his own, no blood daring to pour from the cracks on his mask. He's still as pristine as the day he left, perfect in a way that Branzy's sure should worry him, the truth of welcoming in this lost dog baring its teeth. An ugly, perfect grin, all full of teeth, sharp and ready to snap. Yet, there's no growl, no snarl, silence speaks of something trained, someone fine tuned and sharpened to a point. Dangerous, in a way that only proves that he's alive, that they're both alive, alive as can be. It comes easily, comes almost naturally, to welcome in the danger because really, is that not all he knows? Or, rather, all he'd like to know? Stain the pristine white and perfect purples with dark crimson, sully the perfection that he's always known with the imperfection of the outside world. Welcome home a bloody soldier, and happily tend to his wounds, because what is he if not trapped here with the purpose to serve? [...]

so, welcome to the seraphim au. where branzy is a god (a seraph) and clown is... human? (not really, he isn't. he's a machine, something made to replace seraphs in battle)

a lot of the thought going on here is "what would happen if you flipped the power of their dynamic, while keeping them relatively similar?"

an example of a seraph, though this isn't... how branzy looks? he strays far more human, purely because of how attached he is to clown.

the playlist's main focus is the general vibe of the world, especially the choices of songs (but especially with the artists, you'll notice a few which focus on religious topics, and especially have hymn-like qualities.) and especially its focusing on the concept of clown and branzy's dynamic.

but, overall, the changing of seasons and the ruining of imagery which is traditionally seen as something soft is the main focus. a god often viewed as benevolent is drawn toward the violence and blood of the world, finding solace in clown's stories. it's a parallel to clown trapping branzy in the end, even if it's vague about it!

there's also. this piece?

Finally sitting down to rest and just sitting in silence with Branzy. They haven't seen each other in a long while, yet they settle in regardless, Branzy handing Clown a letter, carefully penned and addressed to him, looking away when Clown looks at him for clarification Branzy is embarrassed, having handed Clown such a bold show of heart, a love letter. Something that's so open and real to him, it's no different from an xray, of a photo of his ribcage, handing him his beating, bleeding heart. It's love, it's truth, it's him.

i think we need more victorian era shows of love in the world, give somebody an xray

#haunted ecosystem #haunted bookshelf #au: seraphim #hopefully this made sense!!#apparition sketchbook #something something its a soft love story that spirals out into blood.#Spotify

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actualalligator · 3 months

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Sub!Hen makes so much sense! Especially the further you get into the series as she gets more and more buried under all her different obligations its so easy seeing her need someone to help her just like. Take a breath. Relax. It's the same thing as with Buck I think? Where it's like. That boy is bouncing off the walls he absolutely needs a caregiver to look out for him and Bobby is *perfect* for it, especially given their Canon dynamic which is so father/son like.

I'm working on a dynamic AU with little!Buck right now where he's been hiding it forever but it picks up during the lawsuit Era when he gets caught out. It's just such a good concept and there no shortage of places to whump Buck tbh. I was also thinking caregiver Bobby and you've given me so much to think about !

Yes absolutely!! That's actually so real. I wonder also what the affair from s1 would look like with Eva as her former dom (I don't think it excuses it at all, but I think considering the power imbalance, it would be interesting!)

Yes on Buck. Canon, the boy needs someone to rein him in. I'm drawn to these types of characters 😂

That's such a good idea!! I would be so interested to read what that knowledge does mid lawsuit. I'm generally team buck fucked up (though I really understand some what he was feeling and also he def needed to see a professional after the explosion and the tsunami) when it comes to the lawsuit, but Buck as a little coming out???? I'm so into it

I've started at the beginning of season 1, so I have set it up where both Buck and Bobby see the arrangement as temporary. Buck because he's sure Bobby is going to realize how much of a burden he is and Bobby because while he's thinking he can give the kid a soft place to land and some time to find a more permanent cg, he's still s1 Bobby who plans to finish his list and die to join his family. So angst central 😂

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skelekins · 7 months

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>:O kelek stuff

keep thinking about his Creature version now

[slight forward: in my aus i think of mythological creatures as Creatures. which are separate from Monsters. their current general concept: soul like a monsters but its a physical part of them. they can't be encountered bc it can't be taken out. when they die the rest of their bodies dust so the only thing left is the husk of their soul.

the sirens from my fics Birdy and Secretary's Sanctuary are Creatures.]

so i think lil blue creature Kelek comes from a line of Creatures that are just silly little comfort/lazy spirits. One common association with them is a worker sleeping on the rocks. This comes from their ability to knead their magic into objects; back in the day it wasn't uncommon for those to be rocks. And how tempting is an impossibly soft pillow-like rock when its a hot summer day?

for now Im just calling them Comfort Creatures bc of the joke with creature comforts.

Keleks a more urban modern day one.

#kelek #creature kelek #comfort creature design #just silly little guys #sdfjlksfj #call a pack of them a giggle #a giggle of comforts #why does he have a human version?#idk a lot of creatures have human versions #or 'masks'#some more than others #i think it usually depends on their proximity to humans #if they live closer to them they have more full masks/glamor #for defense or hunting #also he was literally just designed for funsies which is why im like shrug shrug on if certain versions are human or not #okay im sorry lots of tags bye now #skelekins speaks

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sharonisthebettercarter · 8 months

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comics inspired butchlander ideas<3

so.

guess who got inspired~<3 after readin' that loveable trainwreck known as the boys~<3<3<3

it's the original verse that started all the bullshit and definitely worth the read and messages being discussed and it's definitely not any worse or even as bad as the show is 'edge'wise (def got surpassed there!). plus it really does feel like its own secret playbook/au for the show with some unique insight on the characters and story lmao<3 may also do a bit of concept breakdown idk

heads up! long long post ahead butt~ i'll split this into segments with some bold and <3<3<3 highlighting each idea<3

butt~ full disclosure~<3...

they abso-fuckin'-lutely~ confirm billy butcher as the biggest fuckin' bottom of the entire series<3<3<3 the bratty bossy baby type (with a soft boi side~!) who even is THE GUY who confirms homelander's canonically huge dong~<3! and even just spiritually, I CANNOT<3<3<3 (if i don't fuckin' count the lovely show boi un-fuckin'-ironically calling himself an alpha male and how gotdamn CUTE that motherfucker who plays him is. FUCKING MAN PUPPY with them big ass wide pretty eyes and adorable nose and perfect second trimester belly when he gains just a little bit of chub<3<3<3)

i don't much imagine the actors/actresses *directly* anyhow when i write/read (kinda some features i may like do stay, but i do LOVE to play with them sometimes, some comic features generally tend to stick (namely muscle cause i need it), and moar often am picturing some kind of 3d/actor/comic amalgamation in wolf among us (game) style cause i'm weird i guess) who knows, maybe i might pick up a pen and actually draw what's in my head for once even tho its been goddamn years--

and boi oh fuckin' boi did these things gimme some fantastic au ideas, combined and separate cause why the fuck not~<3 we can always do BOTH (as i normally do anyway lol) ;))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

anywho~<3

visceral reactions to being bad for homie<3<3<3

listen.

so this shit was an INSTANT creative boner for me y'all that i CANNOT for the life of me figure out why people wouldn't wanna further explore this! like holy fuck, i know how much bad~<3 homie is dearly loved, but what about fix-its and GOOD~<3 homie (no i do not mean superman but we're gonna dive a bit into that lore), or. OR. get this... homie who is good but for the WRONG reasons~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))

like~ wanting to genuinely be the best fucking hero out of 'vindictive personal glory and pettiness'~<3<3<3 or simply because he literally 'cannot be bad' without reacting!<3<3<3

for a breakdown, in the comics, homie is gaslit into oblivion into thinking he is and then being bad (sort of an 'i think, therefore i am' evolving into 'i can, therefore i must' complex) and there's pretty much a build up to reveal he was never actually the 'villain' he was painted as from the start. (spoiler alert, butcher is much fucking worse) part of that includes him having visceral reactions to doing truly evil things he full well knows are legit evil

whether a mental breakdown, some mirror~ talk, or even him actually throwing up, the boi legit had a bodily *rejection* to evil and i just...

i couldn't help thinkin', well what if he *knew* it wasn't him because of this reaction, and he couldn't be gaslit... opens up a new can o worms, don't it~<3

just imagine the chaos to be had with this poor boi having to lose his goddamn lunch everytime he either does a bad mission for vought or is just fuckin' mean or lies to someone<3 it'd be fucking GLORIOUS<3!

imagine~<3 butcher getting 'infected' with homelander's peculiar 'affliction' thinking he's caught that 'raging case a vagina' only for it to turn out to be a 'raging case a morning sickness' for poor billy boo~<3<3<3

but beyond that, there are a couple lines that play in my head for his interactions with butcher and how he could take being accused given his... well, alibi lmao! things like~

"why don't you like me? everyone likes me."

"no, i think i'll just... continue to do the right thing. i love how much it grates you when people have a legitimate reason to adore me and especially when they cheer for me."

and my personal favorite~<3

"i'm the real hero. die mad about it."

because who doesn't love a sassy fine boi~<3<3<3!!

anywho~, this actually leads into the next bit which was actually an idea i had learning about the comics even before reading them. i have seen it played with somewhat?? though not really quite like this or in this capacity. BUTT~<3

detective husbands<3<3<3

or not quite there but getting there lol. this one definitely requires a key plot point from the comic in which homie was framed for what happened to becky (and others), but can still be combined with show elements or relate back to the show. the difference being that he is fully aware that he didn't do it and wants to find out, even help butcher know, who done it...

clone games are of course an option there, but i'm actually surprised that no one's thought about using doppleganger as the rapist. we know he can morph into anyone and is already an undercover rapist for vought's blackmailing, it's really not all that far fetched to consider he might end up taking certain 'looks' for joy rides and doing awful things to scared people. i for one think doppleganger is actually a great character for exploration and story twists, butt i digress

basically, this idea hinges on homelander *not* being the true culprit and offering to help~<3 it can also absolutely be combined with the last one<3<3 and even moar~<3<3<3

but mostly, i do love me that delectable idea of these two motherfuckers working together to figure out the truth~<3 and homie being the BEST worst soldier that butcher could ever possibly ask for. technically, homie can still be a huge dumpster fire for this as long as he didn't commit *this* specific crime, even different levels of trash fire, or clean as a whistle~<3

maybe with a dropped quote from marcus aurelius~<3 to help things along--"punish only he who has committed the crime."

so long as butcher finds him useful (OH--), homie's pretty much a shoo-in for the group shenanigans, he could be another vas but stronger~<3<3<3

aaaaaand~ since i mentioned it

clone games and shadow homie<3<3<3

clones are an obvious oldie, but a goodie i think. i also think they give lots of different people mixed feelings. it can for sure feel corny and overplayed (especially in the comics genre which lmao, let's be honest is a fuckin' cornfest in general), but can also be pretty cool and interesting, even thought provoking when done well.

side note~ i do think it was done well in the comic, if you go in knowing what to expect (and i honestly expected worse), you see the signs and build up even from very early in the comics. (also billy wut the fuck you stupid stupid entrapping clone accomplice cunt, how the fuck could you not be the slightest bit suspicious when a mountain of clearly very STAGED photos falls into your lap?? oh that's right motherfucker, ya don't actually care whether people are guilty or not as long as they're supes--)

but the abruptness in the way it changes the dynamic and understanding in what's actually occurred can give whiplash. it makes you realize just how tragic homelander's situation really is and then fully robs you of any enjoyment of his death because it is just that fucked up. start to end, you realize he never had a life of his own... and that's... that fuckin' hits. HARD.

in addition to unveiling that the story has been following its biggest villain the whole time, the themes are flipped entirely on its head, suddenly the *people* who were villainized and getting taken down are the ones who need saving and ooooooh... it fuckin' hurts, but it is VERY well done. especially when you realize that the story LAID THIS OUT from the very beginning~!

ugh, enough of that concept breakdown lmao.

basically clones are gonna be hit or miss for lots a folks, tho i do think it stems more from misunderstanding/bad stories and post hoc association, granted it can be an easy concept to fuck up (but also make flourish)

butt~ what about fanfic~<3?

OH. i see the opportunity~<3 and i am once again so disappoint no one else is gettin' creative! obviously, this one does hinge a bit more on the comic, but it can connect~<3 (can't do both~?;)))))))

the clone is.... well, there's a small part of me (micro~) that i must admit does feel kinda bad for him. in the same way i feel bad for the joker. in which this motherfucker is literally, legitimately, completely fucking insane?? and it's well... it's *difficult* to plainly judge a very broken mind as you would a 'normie'. (stiiiiiiil fuckin' hate 'em)

and in a way, i get it. to be *made* for one fucking purpose and then denied fulfilling it puts a mind in a fucked up place. he actually sorta mirrored homelander. both created for purpose, but while one was expected to meet a standard he was *not* prepared for, the other *was* prepared for his standard, and then denied the chance to meet it.

and there's a lot that can be explored there just between homie and the clone. especially if the clone *tells* him early on. ;) twin bros is also technically an option which i'll get to with shadowlander~<3 (which is not *quite* a twin)

butt. when it comes to clones, something that does often get explored is rapid deterioration of them or them coming out 'wrong' from damaged DNA. there's a whole somethin' there to be explored with an OG homie and a deteriorating clone or possibly more than one clone, cause why not? in the comics, his clone was an 'upgrade', but what if he hadn't been? better yet, what if they failed multiple times? what if the mental breakdown and subsequent framing of homie was the result of the physical and mental deterioration?

the deterioration itself could have even been a contingency plan to their original contingency plan (which honestly, TOTAL amateur move not to have one... BATMAN would have thought of one!) and these themes could be explored to bittersweet effect or even just sweet if the clone *does* tell him, and they work things out/team up against vought<3

combine the two (deterioration/team up) for a super tragic bittersweet feel that could even revolve around homie saving/failing his clone/brother/only friend... </3

OUCH.

moving on~ multiple clones because they all deteriorate rapidly. now THIS is a fuckin' fire starter... especially if the REAL homie is the one to never see the light of day, specifically because they *can't* make the contingency plan.

and here's where it gets REAL fun~<3 in this case, OG homie never sees light of day. one of the clones does commit the crime since they're all crazy *almost*, but the clones themselves keep dying, and public sometimes trashfire homie is a new clone every time and has many many many many doomsday arcs that he seemingly *recovers* from every time (new clone, who dis?... LMAO PERFECT. title right there!), vought changes things up.

public homie is the clones, he is always the clones. og homie (johnny boi~<3) becomes their contingency (assassin~) when needed since he is the only perfect one and he is very *very* well trained (as a weapon). (this can also super play into homie's anxiety for why they kept him behind the scenes too, noir can be show noir~<3, bit of role reversal actually)

kicker being when billy either *sees* og homie killing one of the clones, or has one of the deteriorating clones *literally* die and deteriorate/dissolve on top/in front of him as it's trying to kill him. it could even be one of the saner/good clones (or one that discovers homie) who finds and sends the pictures (of another clone, comic) to try get the boys to freee the real homie and stop vought

because i LOVE the idea of big dumb animal completely unused to human interaction homie coming under billy's wing, and billy definitely DEFINITELY abusing his trust and planning to use him as a weapon before~<3 well... let's just say that homie's story, general innocence (here), and need for comfort could do *things* to billy's cold dead heart<3

that one can also be combined with visceral reactions. and this homie would likely have never been with another person~<3 (what a cutie~!)

the a/b/o wrench could def be thrown in there in a special way too (thrown in like normal every other time~<3 the world def needs more omega butcher<3<3<3) but for the clones, they're all made betas/ pseudo or normal alphas while homie...

is a very rare type of prime (mmmmhmmm~<3 lol) or true alpha deemed too dangerous for society (bullshit of course, but omegas would likely be very common in this world and run things, alphas like homie would be killed at birth ordinarily, and the clones deteriorating could be explained by the tampered dna to make them 'normal'.)

i do also adore the idea that only a prime/true alpha can get a male omega pregnant for this kinda world setting~<3 (or even that they can get other normal *alphas* pregnant/bitch them) and that of course is an idea that can be used for any canon/au, show or comic.

how crazy would it be for billy to discover homie is an actual alpha and then use it against him to destroy his rep/turn people against him? it would be very on point, and could also result in an arranged bonding situation to *tame the dangerous alpha* with a *calm and rational omega*, guess who i have in mind~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

of course, homie's super sperm is still always an option because i love mpreg and bitching~<3<3<3

back to the topic. shadowlander/twins. twins are pretty self explanitory and of course, ideas can be combined. basically there were two and one got treated way way different. one or both finding out could either cause hella resentment, or these bois teaming up~<3<3<3

shadow homie... is a bit more complicated? and sparked from wanting the 'clone' framing situation AND show noir~<3 in which homie has a power he has no clue about because he has a literal dark side that can separate from his body. likely a manifestation that protected him when he was young (i love those imaginary friend type powers<3) that grew to be something... moar (and terrifying)

this kinda goes similar to the concept of mirrorlander and homie having DID, but a little different and more accurate to what's actually going on (on the show based on interview, and a little more respectful i do hope. DID is commonly used in explorations of duality and 'evil dangerous dark side' but it doesn't quite... help with common misconceptions about the disorder. just my two cents, if i were gonna explore this, i'd wanna flip it with a good personality that legit cockblocks homie every time he tries to do bad and is fighting for control/is the one causing visceral reactions to evil~<3)

but back to shadowhomie. basically, when homie was little, his literal powers created this demon to protect him. BUTT, as homie grew to no longer need him, he was caged up. and locked away. and forgotten. never a good combo and bound to cause issue~<3

so what happens? well, he has a 'clone' as this thing... developed. but he doesn't know it. shadow lander would likely hold everything dark about homie, in essence a literal manifestation of what his trauma created in him being *expelled* from his body and if not protecting him... well...

this kinda thing could also fuck around with homie's powers and make them act up a bit weirdly, maybe split what power he does or doesn't have/make them inconsistent, shadowlander splitting from him and not being with him could also be an explanation for homie's visceral reactions~<3 (full circle~<3)

but with this scenario, homie's not the culprit, but also... he is the culprit. but also not. yesn't.

i've always loved exploration in duality, and i like the idea of that side being able to fully separate, because it makes for great complexities and creative freedom. including giving homie his own doomsday arc~! (if you are unfamiliar with superman lore, i basically mean homie will end up fighting his dark side and ''''''dying''''''<3)

and that battle could be spectacular on its own when you consider that as a 'part' of homie, shadowlander could end up 'linked' to him. one gets hurt, the other does too. which always makes for... interesting fights. or since homie is the OG, it only works one way in which shadow homie gets hurt, but he wont, but maybe shadow homie is stronger overall to counterbalance it.

end result would be a struggle to 'reabsorb'/'kill' shadow homie, and to tie it back into the doomsday arc, billy could end up super fucking sad and depressed post '''''death''''' battle after a whole ass journey realizing 'oh shit, homie's *not* the bad guy' and also 'oh shit, i think i fell in love with him when i tripped, fell, and landed on his dick'... perhaps unknowingly with a little one on the way~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

twin works in place of shadowlander like the original clone too.

last thing i'll say is that i'm actually surprised they haven't used the clone option in the show given they have antony starr as homelander (*coughs in outrageous fortune* lmao). he's a guy who coulda pulled it off with flying colors and it honestly has me wondering if they may have a plan for a clone being made/used for the finale but a bit differently

MOVING ON~<3!

assassin homie and the boi who LEARNS<3<3<3

assassin homie is a fun one~<3

let's start with the 'boi who LEARNS'<3 what does that even mean? well, basically it means homie discovers he was gaslit and framed before shit hits the fan, and that he has a clone as a contingency plan... so what does he do~?

welp, couple options there between straight up murder/assassination~, getting people fired or getting them to resign, he basically takes out every single last person who *can* give the order for the clone to destroy him--

so that there's no one left who *can* give the order...

the result?

well, in someone as fucking unstable as the clone, this could cause a self destruct, he would implode/explode/everything inbetween. but ultimately be likely to destroy himself faced with a situation where he can never meet the objective he was made to meet. it's almost cruel, but it's basically a checkmate from homelander where he personally dismantles vought and gets the clone to destroy itself with minimal effort.

oooh~<3 scary and exhilarating<3<3<3

couple paths from there, either homie fucks off to be alone, total supe anarchy chaos without vought and he's around, or he takes full control of what's left of vought and OOOOHHHH~<3 OPTIONS~<3!

butt~ the fact of the matter would definitely fuck billy's (comic) plans to oblivion since... well, the boys could just go to homelander to stop him<3<3<3 if billy is stupid enough to actually try to follow through that is<3 or leave billy in a... peculiar spot.

he'd probably be there expecting a big final fight with homelander, and instead he'd get the clone destroying itself, homie was actually not guilty the whole time, and he doesn't even lift a finger to get the job done that billy had been trying to do for over a fucking decade.

"that's gotta sting..."

it also deals with a moar dangerous~<3 homie that actually uses that big brain and high iq of his<3<3<3

but with the options it does leave, there are certainly windows for... futures<3 lmao, brighter or darker actually.

something like this could make billy totally lose his drive and obsession even if homelander goes full tyrant on vought scraps because not only was he wrong, he didn't even manage to get the revenge he wanted. everything he claimed was for becky/becca (while knowing she would hate it) was pretty much for nothing in the end.

homelander could either make himself a 'villain' for billy just to snap him out of it, or even (while tyranting) implement changes that are good/more strict for vought superheros and come to check on billy.

things could even be unbearably NORMAL and they fall in love like the world's most boring average couple ever since its all over<3<3<3 (love me some vanilla shit and marshmallow billy boo<3 his canon submissiveness for people he loves his adorable<3<3<3)

it works similarly in reverse too, where homie fucks off and tells the world to fuck off since he's lost hope after that bullshit, and billy (begrudgingly) has to finally, FINALLY fucking swallow his pride and convince homie to come help them clean up/chaos is happening/major threats on the horizon they need homie for~<3<3<3

and homie OF COURSE<3 being stubborn<3 as billy tries to make him see reason that the world is worth protecting... maybe inadvertently doing so when they start banging and homelander gets billy boo up the duff~<3<3<3

but going back to assassin~<3 homie. i kinda like the idea of him apprehending and intercepting the supes the boys go after, even doing the jobs more efficiently than they could depending on scenario of course. 'making the boys obsolete' homie is another creative boner of mine and he is gorgeous~<3<3<3

but of course. not the only method. there's also the one who goes after billy~<3

of course, he'd need to get stopped and put on some kind of truce with him for butchlander, but then it can absolutely go back to him making the boys 'obsolete' to get rid of them<3 love me some dangerous predator homie<3<3<3

fact is, the boys has the 'hunted' taking aim at the 'hunter', classic trope, but it makes for some magical cat and mouse games~<3 assassin homie dials up his danger and discretion up to 1100 for sure. and there is A LOT that can be done with that<3<3<3

hate fucking<3<3<3

pretty self explanitory~<3

mostly, i just wanna drop that billy loving hate fucking is canon BOTH ways~<3<3<3 (gotta LOVE maeve taking control and his lazy lover ways~, can only IMAGINE what *show* raynor did to him<3<3<3) as is his submissive sweet bean marshmallow fluffy boi bottom tendencies when he falls in love like literally admits to becky being the first woman on top in the comic HE'S JUST SO FUCKING ADORABLE I--<3<3<3

butt. the boi is also super self destructive by habit for sure. he purposely, consistently, deliberately, bites off WAY fucking moar than he can chew for the explicit purpose of getting his ass handed to him. (literally how he meets becky. is his obvious death wish fucking showing yet)

and with a guy like homie?? he'd definitely *want* it to hurt hella bad and would definitely~ push for fighting turned into fucking... and getting overpowered each time<3

can of course be combined with other ideas~<3

the mud people/supe dilemma and compound V<3<3<3

this is just another canon dropping for both continuities. while not impossible for supes to sleep with humans... it IS portrayed as... *difficult*.

in the comics, it's more specific, but both the show and comic actually give examples of strength disparity being an issue and normal humans getting hurt. mm mentions what happens to the sex workers at herogasm, and that poor writer guy gets his dick snapped off.

the comics take it another step and show us people can and often do use drugs cut with V in order to be able to keep up, so to speak. (the only real thing to mention about v is that it comes in many more different forms in the comic that def could be explored<3)

but going back to the supe/human thing, i would wager that it (obviously) varies for supes for how *difficult* it is to maintain control when with humans. homelander obviously would be the top of that list.

and listen. y'all. i could not be fucking paid to miss an opportunity for the super dick. with great fucking *power* comes great *fucking* power LEMME TELL YA<3<3<3

if i have a chance to write about super dick, i won't miss it BECAUSE~<3

no refractory period~<3

super fucking stamina~<3<3<3

fingers, tongue, and dick can be VIBRATED with superspeed~<3<3<3<3<3<3

this motherfucker is the PERFECT<3 service top.

combined with that diamond shatting flesh destroying clencher atrocity out the back and i--.

ice princess, but worse.

lmao. the superman archetype ALWAYS tops. he just does. he needs to for the sake of his partner. it is a fact of life or you're doin' it wrong cause you have just missed the greatest golden opportunity for one HELL~<3<3<3 of a GOTDAMN GOOD fuckin' time that CANNOT be beat.

legit.

what a terrible tragedy and great disservice to miss out on this, i just... i couldn't. i would literally die. literally.

anywho~<3

"i quit" and early retirement<3<3<3

kinda self explanatory<3 again comes back to comics with them pics but can just deal with billy accusing homie however, whenever. tho the premise once again does come back to he *didn't* do it.

basically, the second the accussation comes out? homie... quits.

for an actual good reason too, or at least an attempt at good. (can just be homie being petty and hurt, works best if his record is spotless otherwise i think but also good if he's being extra extra petulant) but the good reason is him thinking he's lost time and hurt people, and not wanting to hurt anyone else/get to the bottom of things on his own if he doesn't think it was him for whatever reason.

as always lmao, can be tied back to others such as the visceral reactions, or idk, maybe the motherfucker actually has a hobby this time. it goes back to billy having to convince him to help instead<3<3<3

definitely love the world ending option here, maybe yellowstone is about to erupt or something and only homelander can stop it. i have an idea there that i will go into another time just to not add anymore tangents here. same goes for secret identity~<3 since that's more general<3

butt~<3

the other part of this is a homie who quit a long long time ago as soon as the first accusations (from others, not billy) started rolling in and fucked off to live a quiet life. it does tie in back to the clone shenanigans, multiple bad ones or one is fine. but this OG homie is an overpowered beast and--gentle giant<3.

basically, he's calm cause he has his 'girls' (milking animals lmao), a small farm, cabin by a lake, and is living a solitary life in peace as a mountain man (also inspired by starr's obsession with being a mountain man lmao). and maybe he's got hobbies, idk

however... billy, while going after the clone gets badly injured. that's where this mofo steps in. he could handle it then and there or the conflict is saved for later and he just helps billy, but either way, he takes billy back to his cabin and nurses him back to health. existensial crisis ensues~<3

possible fighting with billy demanding he handle the fucking clone if he hasn't and homie just being a... passive neutral bug. do love me the doc manhattan approach<3<3<3

there's something about rebuilding a lost hope superman/super powerful character that just makes me so happy<3

the real homie can also do other things like run a goddamn candy store or somethin, and the secret identity aspect can also def be used, maybe they're neighbors<3

maybe billy's been secretly getting railed by the retired asshole the whole goddamn time~<3<3<3

billy's final evil plan works?? and the "crossed" option<3<3<3

kinda. this one hinges back to comics (obviously, all these prompts are comic inspired lmao) with billy's worst idea ever actually succeeding, sorta, whether he skips to the finish line out of desperation or any of the above reasons or other keep homie alive, he succeeds in changing the landscape of the world.

and it backfires~<3

(tho if ya wanna go real depressing, he could actually succeed and they die in each others arms, do have to throw that one out)

butt anywho~<3 backfiring.

it can either kill all the normal humans, leaving only supes, or change a bunch of humans, kill some, and leave only supes.

it can also cause a legit zombie apocalypse. cause knowing billy... let's just be honest, it would. it absolutely would. and the zombies would function exactly like those in 'crossed' (another work by ennis i am hella interested in but fuck me they are expensive), congrats billy, you fucked the world!

in the 'crossed' crossover (lmao), supes could be immune and billy inadvertently makes homie the last best hope for human survival... and he can be a remarkably shitty one or he can actually be great or gradually learn~<3 but personally, it does seem poetic that billy would inadvertently create billions of what he was allegedly trying to destroy. that is monstrous humans with no humanity.

in a regular dystopia where people just died a lot, classic tropes from a/b/o come into play (arranged mating/population boost/control for butchlander anyone~?) and maybe even homelander being the only one who knows what billy did/tried to do and hiding the now most wanted man on earth (or maybe they do know and billy being an omega is the only thing that saves his life)

as always ideas can be combined goddammit fuck me i am tired this thing took me DAYS and if there is anything i've forgotten or want to add?

i will just make a goddamn part two (do plan for some show inspired ones too~!) or combine it with another set a prompts cause

holy fuck--

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cortexhyperfixationnation · 10 months

Text

Uhm here's my ranking of the 4 scientists:

1: Dr Neo Cortex (obviously)

2: N Tropy

3: N Brio

4: N Gin

You might be wondering why I feel the way I do and the answer is actually very simple: I never finished Crash Bandicoot 2.

How does that affect things? Well it means I basically missed out on the whole of N Gin's character as it is first presented to us, and the whole of Brio's vengeance arc. So I never really got attached to N Gin. I do enjoy him, I love his goofy voice and the concept of him having a rocket in his brain, but I feel as though I don't know enough about him. IAT doesn't do him much justice either, he's the first boss and idk how accurate his portrayal is. I appreciate him and think he's a worthy part of the N Team, I just don't care enough about him.

N Brio is next, and honestly for me, he's almost tied with Tropy. On some days I'd find it hard to pick between them. But Brio is so damn cool, I enjoy his brute form even if it's just Frankenstein and Hulk mixed, but because it's tied to Brio (someone who is generally shy) I think that gives it more staying power. Not to mention his vendetta against Cortex is entirely built on his own self loathing, it just makes him such an interesting character. Most of my aus revolve around them being friends and TS! Brio has an unrequited love for Cortex but his canon depiction is great too! Also him being a potions guy and constantly mutating himself because no one else would dare take part in his experiments? Chefs kiss it's sublime.

N Tropy is next on the list, and the only reason he's above Brio is because I find shipping him with Cortex more fun. The idea of two evil scientists with the same goals hating each other but also having a weird respect for each other which then evolves into something more? Hell yea ��

We love our funky British Time Lord so much he's a silly guy :'3 (and a very attractive one too)

Finally it's my absolute beloved my skrunkly my gorgeous silly it's Dr Neo Cortex baby!!! I cannot even begin to describe the sheer amount of love I have in my heart for him, he's so cute and epic and every time he shows up on screen I go crazy giggling and twirling my hair and kicking my feet he's my wittol!!! Genuinely he means the absolute world to me and his IAT incarnation is the fucking cream of the crop, the absolute best Cortex we've ever had and the other game I love him most in is Twinsanity, something about this guy being on the good team makes me all kind of soft and fuzzy and to me it's when his character is at its absolute level best 💕

Lex Lang did an awesome job with his voice I love how pathetic and fruity it sounds and honestly Cortex will never ever intimidate me because he's just too soft and wittol and smol I--- as much as I love Clancy Brown as Hank in DBH he's never going to be the definitive Cortex voice I'm sorry Lex Lang takes the cake ://3

I hope you all enjoyed this mini rant about the N Team and I hope it makes my opinions clear awa

#neo cortex #dr neo cortex #n brio #n gin #n tropy

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muttkep · 2 months

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Greetings Rise fandom! I got another concept for you all!

This could be for its own au, but this is something I'm planning to add into my Dragon Turtles au. I got to thinking about how the turtles could advance with their mystic abilities after the events of the movie, and that's when I got the idea that the bros could gain familiars. Basically, think of these creatures as something like the Palismans from The Owl House, except instead of turning into staffs, they become more like totems, jewelry, or other small, inanimate objects that could be carried around in case of emergencies.

As for how they got them, I like to picture a sort of traveling market that popped up outside of Witch Town. That way all the bros can explore it out of curiosity without getting into trouble with the residents. And as for each one, they all chose the turtles based on a mystic connection. And each one is unique, so let's get into who got who:

Raph: Ursa Minor cub. Bears are classified as strong earth-based guardian spirits, but I wanted Raph's little buddy to be about more than just strength. I also wanted a mystic creature he could show a softer side with. One without worry of getting hurt by the amount of mental anguish suffered at the hands of the Krang turned possibly physical. Hence the decision to give Raph what is essentially a perfect sized teddy bear that also doubles as his mystic partner.

Donnie: Albino Basilisk. Now, I had quite a bit of debate on what to give Donnie as a familiar. I considered something like a rabbit or a cat, but that felt a bit too obvious or overdone. This version of Donnie deserved something unique, so I started looking for alternative animals. The basilisk stuck out to me in a few ways. One, snakes are usually connected to water. Two, making the creature albino means that it would have difficulties surviving, and would have to think outside the box to live in certain conditions. Kind of like Donnie and his soft shell. Making this serpent in particular a fast thinking/highly intelligent creature. Also, much like how Donnie could be misunderstood as a cold and closed off individual, so too are snakes. Snakes can be highly misunderstood as cold, efficient, killing creatures of evil, but some out there actually have calm and friendly temperaments. And while it would take Donnie a while to get over the creepy feeling of them crawling over him, the feel of the smooth skin would probably be great for someone who is theorized to have certain sensitivities to certain textures. Not to mention that the gentle massaging feels of them gently constricting him in a not-too-tight fashion could help keep him grounded in a mental spiral. (And yes, I based the design off of 2012's serpent Karai. it was an intentional reference)

Mikey: Phoenix. Mikey's was an obvious one for me to do. Being the most Mystically connected out of the brothers means he had the highest chances of bonding with a very powerful creature. Enter the phoenix, a firebird with the ability to be reborn from the ashes of an old life. Colorful, graceful, and powerful, the phoenix can also have a soft or even mischievous side to it. A fun-loving creature with great abilities to help a fledging mystic warrior like Mikey gain his proper footing in using them. Especially without hurting himself, like with the portal at the end of the movie. As well as helping him gain confidence to stand on his own when his brothers can't help him.

Leo: Kirin. Leo was also a hard one to figure out. I considered animals like stags, deer, elk and the like. But then, I remembered that Leo had a liking for Unicorns, however I didn't just want to give him a generic unicorn. That's when inspiration struck. I was revisiting the OVA series of Petshop of Horrors, and in the 4th episode, it talked about the Kirin. The Kirin is stated to be a holy beast, who serves no one but it's sovereign. Therefore, the person to gain possession of the Kirin, was destined to be a great ruler. That's when it all clicked into place. The Kirin is not only the Eastern equivalent to the unicorn, but a lot of what it represents could tie into Leo's struggles of being a better leader after the movie. Sovereign is another word for king or leader, and in ancient Chinese/general Asian lore, the arrival of a Kirin was meant to signify the coming or going of a great leading figure. A creature that was benevolent to its allies and had ruthless furry for its enemies. And not just anyone could choose a Kirin as a familiar or guardian spirit, it had to choose you. And after everything Leo went through, fears of failure, the pressures of leadership, the guilt of causing/nearly causing the apocalypse, he would need some kind of sign or reassurance that he was back on the right track. That he was improving and could be a good leader like Casey Jr. said. And what better way than to be chosen by a great mythic beast, with its own set of scars, to choose him to be its leader. If that doesn't prove Leo's leadership capabilities, I don't know what would.

Anywho, thanks for reading my crazed ramblings, and I hope you enjoy the content. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on the concept. Hope to see you soon!

Characters mentioned are not mine, all referenced media belongs to their rightful owners. The artwork is mine only.

#rise fanart #rottmnt fanart #save rottmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt au #unpause rottmnt #my art #mystic familiars

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tenten18282 · 1 year

Note

Thank u for your Doubt comic it had me actually sobbing at 2 AM, my sleeves ended up damp from wiping my face so many times haha. OK OK but I love?? Your depiction of young Time/Mask?? Like my actual first contact with Zelda was reading the ocarina of time manga which depicted oot Link as a cheerful kid so when I stumbled upon linked universe (which I adore but still) I was just like ??? at Time's more "serious jaded veteran" characterisation bc it was so off from what I imagined him to be like haha.

Plus I just don't find his adult self as interesting as his child self but there's SO little content abt child Time, so ur little links AU really hit my soft spot (besides little time being less jaded and having a brighter outlook just makes his tragedy hit that much harder haha) AND ITS NOT JUST THAT BUT ALSO how, despite Time looking like a kid and being more cheerful, u still add all these lovely glimpses into the side of him that he keeps hidden, which has been aged and hurt and simply *changed* by his adventures, with behaviours that aren't childlike at all (how used he is to hide when he is hurt, his fear of being alone and forgotten, how intimately he understands others' grief)

Time is my fave Link if me rambling all over your asks didn't give you a clue haha, BUT ALSO! WIND!!! I adore how you completely flipped things and made wind the oldest of the kiddie Links!! Bc he's usually the baby of the chain and I just love love LOVE how you flipped it around, how it just perfectly fits him bc he's the only Link who's also an older brother in the canon text and now he can use his big brother powers on the other three

Ik u said Wind is kinda intimidated by Time, but in your comics it really feels like he has a special connection to Time bc like! Wind knows Time's legend and now is his friend, so it's like Wind is the perfect person to see both what Time has achieved and who Time is as a person if that makes sense? and as such would have more tools at his disposal when trying to understand Time and end up knowing him best—which imo Time really needs someone like that, poor bby is always caught in-between and never quite belonging anywhere

Anyways this got away from me haha tl;dr is that I love your art and your comics and your characterization and you :D thank you so much for sharing!! Have a lovely day!

AH! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS!!! also its completely okay to send long-form asks like this…. I love reading opinions and thoughts… its fun and I also took screenshots of this ask for safe-keeping…. thank you….. Shockingly enough, I made this comic to be a comforting story!!! I originally did not expect so many people to be sad or touched by it in such a way, it was very surprising… I think i just have a different criteria for what i consider sad…. haha... I wish I could continue with stories like these but comics take longer for me than usual…. I've been told i should make a blog to write down my thoughts on these characters and this AU as I do have a lot of them, and I also actually really do agree with a lot of what you're saying right now! Originally, I thought of this concept as a way to bring a smaller form twist of the LU characterizations i've enjoyed a lot … which is why i say it's an off-shoot of Linked universe, as these versions of Time, Four, Wind and Rulie will become the LU heroes in the future to me… also i just want them to hang out and have fun ha

I have a lot of thoughts on what you mentioned, and would like to elaborate on what i think while also just talking about it in general, so i will put down a "read more" so as to not make it difficult for other people to scroll through this blog.

I find myself seeing the Linked Universe iteration of the hero of time to be a character who's at the end of their development… someone who's fully come to find a resolution to what they've gone through and is now somewhat at peace, especially after meeting the hero of Twilight. Child time is the initiation of this period of darkness for him; yet despite him going through so many adventures he's still very much a child- I doubt he has the tools or abilities to fully process how cruel fate has been to him. He's still an odd-ball of a kid who's still cheery…. I think that the true tumult of his life reaches his peak just when he reaches his 20's not right when he finished his adventures, so younger time is someone who i really wanted to write and draw…

Besides, I don't think he genuinely focused much on the horrors of his adventure at this current time of his life, and probably even had fun at some points. I always saw him as the kind of optimist who down-plays these horrors… Since he's always been placed in the pedestal of the hero of time, I think he's used to becoming someone who's very dependable! While he has his friends Deku scrub, Mikau and Darmani, they can only do so much for him… Which is why i do think pairing him up with these young heroes will do him well! He finally has others who truly get it… I feel like even if he's a bit cryptic over what he's seen and found in his adventures (His hero friends only seem to think he has four transformation masks…) he'll soon learn to be more at peace with it, and start unpackaging his feelings on it…

(unrelated) It also kind of translates to how I view his masks in this au. While Time has healed them of their worries and let them be at peace through the song of healing, I also believe in my eyes that time himself is one of the MAIN reasons the masks truly haven't moved on, because if you play the elegy of emptiness, there's four statues you play to, link being one of them… to the masks he's the only one left who needs to heal and Link is not allowing himself that… so they're in a state of half-consciousness where they can vaguely communicate to Time, who's the only one who can truly understand them (Much like how the happy mask salesman comprehends the masks' emotions, I just like the idea that Time picked up this empath ability from using the masks so much... I also imagine that if the others put the transformation masks on, it wouldn't work).

Time treats the masks with complete respect because to him they're his close friends, people who have seen almost as much as him, they've been through the adventure as well… they're actual tangible proof that his adventure happened, and mattered… It goes to say that having your own consistent group of companions be masks is not very healthy- which is why the masks are happy Time has found more friends. (see "random conversations" for context.)

I also noticed i put a lot of focus on the hero of Winds as of late, but that's because I feel he's quite underutilized… He's a really emotionally mature, smart kid who's also one heck of an older brother! The way i see it is that Wind being intimidated over Time is less so of fear and moreso of realizing that the person you've been equated to your entire adventure by a lot of people is standing right there. It's originally an intimitading feeling, that is later translated into intense older brother worry; Wind most likely expected this capable adult who was untouchable, but the reality of it really frustrates him… He's at a loss on how to address him, either as a respectable fighter who's very well his predecessor, or someone who's is younger than him who shoulders too many responsibilities. In the end, his older brother insctincts kick up…. but he doesn't want to disrespect Time by implying he's incapable so he's quite conflicted. He finds a middle ground eventually. To me, Wind is Time's perfect successor, I find the dynamic they both share to be really interesting. I always imagined wind to be rebellious of the legends and destinies as he's quite an oddity compared to the other heroes, so he definitely tries to help and connect with time, who in the other games somehow becomes a symbol of the legends themselves. He just wants to help Time, someone who's slowly sinking but refuses to acknowledge it.

#misc thoughts #thank you for this ask!#it gave me the perfect opportunity to elaborate a little on what i think #send more lololol (joking)#Yhoh

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shapa-likes-art · 1 year

Note

back with more questions for the supervillain because god im hyperfixating on this au rn dhhdkjskh

You probably answered this one before but I forgot :,)) how does virgil figure it out? is it like over time or suddenly all the pieces snap together

Could you elaborate more on roman's nanobots?? the concept of it is so cool omg

If Logan was in this au (I know you and skye mentioned if he was he'd be like some sort of agent after Roman), how would he try and discover the Phantom? Like just any overall elaboration?

Does Roman have somewhere specific where he tortures and murders his victims? Is it in his lair?

Since Roman is powerless, does he use any weapons aside from his disguised gadgets/knives? Like guns or stuff like that?

Considering he goes for corrupt business owners and rich people etc, do many heroes still go after him regardless of that? Or is he more like an anti-hero rather than a supervillain?

If he does manage to take over the Cardenia (if that is one of his goals), what does/would he do?

again you dont have to answer all of them if its too many! im just really interested in it sm 😭😭

No problem 🫡

I will answer these to the best of my abilities <3.

1. Virgil figures it out and had been picking up on small little things but the main thing that makes things click is Roman's voice. You see When Roman's the phantom his voice is deeper, tougher, and incredibly filled to the brim with manic murder and bloodthirst. He talks like everything is a game. Roman as himself is soft and buttery smooth, Very proper and charming while retaining a calculative-ness to it. When Roman does his phantom voice once, everything immediately snaps into place.

2. Have I mentioned that Roman studied abroad for his college years? Well he did and he went to a prestigious tech college in Germany and he apprenticed under a prolific nanobot engineer. His nanobots are never larger than a fruit fly and are generally undetectable. Most of his nanobots are multi-use for hacking and messing up cameras but he has some specified for hacking, chipping, recording audio, and recording footage. He could probably make something like the MCU Spiderman suit if he pleases but he just prefers to be fashionable.

3. Logan would either be working in the government or under one of the hero agencies. Skye and I never really plan to make this a fully fledged thing so we never felt the need to flesh our his role or give him a presence at all.

4. He never brings them to his lair or have any hideouts. He kills them and tortures them right where they are <3. He ALWAYS makes sure they're secluded without any means of escape and in the dead hours of the night. He. Does. Not. Bring. Them. Back

Too much risk that way.

5. He is proficient in using knives; He has a whole collection of knives in his lair, all ornate and lethal. He also knows how to handle a gun but he prefers Knives because, like, majority of guns are clunky, obvious, and not as ornate as Knives. Knives win overall. However, He can improvise and use anything as a weapon if he so chooses. He also can just use good old fashioned hands, arms, feet and legs.

6. Yes because apparently killing corrupt people are still ✨Crimes✨. The people in heroes agencies have a black and white way or thinking which is what makes them SHIT at their jobs. They're like the police force but has powers and unnecessarily even shittier at getting the correct people.

In the people's eyes, He is an antihero but in the Government's and Authority's eyes, he is nothing but filth and a villain.

Roman prefers a Villain title, honestly. Even if he does good, It's for his own benefit and self-satisfaction. He is no hero and will kill an innocent regardless of they annoy him or if they bother Virgil.

7. He NEVER wants to take over cardenia. Period.

#Supervillain au #Supervillain!Roman #Journalist!Virgil #Ask #Iiemrys #Violence #Murder #Knives #Torture

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farm-witches-fic-recs · 2 years

Text

It’s Friday and we’re back again! This week we continue with the community recs from our farm witch friends. Check out these fics and be sure to leave the writers some love!

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Beneath the canopy (@streetlampsunset) “It's hot and sweet at once and so lovely.”

Eggs and the flour, no higher power (withkissesfour) “It has kisses and cake what else do you need lol. But really its about cake tasting and pre wedding excitement, and pure unadulterated love. It's playful and sweet and full of tasty cake descriptions, but at the end of the day it’s mostly about Patrick wanting to kiss his delicious husband to be.”

Ever mine, ever thine, ever ours (@aeliagioia) “I love the universe the author created in this story. It is cannon-divergent and a bit AU. It was written early into David and Patrick’s relationship so there are a few inaccuracies, but it is still a great story. I love the family dynamic between Patrick, his siblings, and his cousins. Patrick has a wild side in this story and it’s great fun to see. David fits right in with them in such a genuine way. The author crafted many hilarious and sweet moments. I have read it twice and after writing this review I may have to read it again!”

Firsts (@frizzlenox, HowOldAreWe, @n0connections) “I love the intimacy between friends and how respectful they're with each other.”

I see colors when I hear your voice (@this-will-be-our-year) “It’s a Pleasantville AU that melds the worlds of Pleasantville and Schitt's Creek together seamlessly, and with a lot of heart. If you enjoy the film you'll enjoy this adaptation too.”

In the eyes of the beholder (lonely_ampersand/@smblmn) “In this absolutely lovely fic, nervous Patrick misunderstands the concept behind a research study he signs up for, and ends up befriending David and Stevie. It is sweet and hilarious, and absolutely worth a read!”

My heart was broke, my head was sore (@blueink3) “I love everything about this piece. The pacing is perfect, the character voices are spot on, and top quality writing has you feeling every emotion right along with the characters. I'm angst avoidant for the most part and there's very little true angst with a lovely happy ending. This is a favorite comfort read of mine.”

One town’s very like another (kostia) “I think I must have a kink for competent David. In this one, he's a chess grandmaster. Look, I don't know anything about chess, but this was utterly fantastic.”

The privilege of being yours (asoftplacetoland) “This is a great soft dom/top!Patrick fic with a heaping load of fluffy fiancés in love. If you like Take Charge Patrick, you will love the addition of a little light bondage and spanking, but melt from the sweetness from the both of them by the final chapter.”

Quarantined (unkindravens/@corvidapocalypse) “I'm not the slightest bit joking when I say that this fic is in my Top Five fics I've ever read. It happened to be one of the first I found in this fandom, and I find the characterization so spot on, and the story so adorable, that it's one of the first ones I rec to people just because. ESPECIALLY if they're not generally transformative fic loving people. It's not even dirty! And it never fails to make me laugh at the exact same places every time. You should read it.”

Somebody is digging my bones (redwineandqueer) “(Fic is rated E as a warning!). I love crossovers and this is such an original take to combine these two fandoms. It's also super hot, the plot is entertaining, all the characters get some time to shine, and it stars Alexis and David being their typical Rose sibling selves, and also being badasses (of course). Characterization even in the midst of dinosaurs is stellar and I just have a super warm soft space in my heart for this fic. (Also, dinosaurs are awesome, I don't care how old you are, still awesome.)”

Sometimes, home is a person (houdini74/@mostlyinthemorning) “I think it's a very underrated fic. I love it and every characterization. From Stevie's motel expanding ambitions, Alexis being successful in NYC to David and Patrick's marriage 5 years down the line. All original characters are amazing and the author takes great care in showing Patricks conflict about having family suddenly living close and his fear of being stuck. I reread it once a month, it brings me joy and I can't thank the author enough.”

Summer is more than freedom (@ships-to-sail, @storieswelove) “Childhood friends David and Patrick might be my favourite trope, and this is one of the best. The characters are so clearly drawn, and even though it’s entirely David POV you know exactly what Patrick is thinking, even if David doesn’t. The summer camp atmosphere is beautifully described and immerses you. It’s perfectly paced and feels exactly the right length. The final chapter lives rent-free in my head. I’ve read this three times now and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it many times.“

Sustineo (@rockinhamburger) “This is a gorgeously written story. It has a remarkable amount of depth for being only just over 10k words. It's lusciously vivid, deeply emotional and artfully executed. This fic is a top favorite of mine.”

The touch of the kings and the breath of the wind (foxtails/@ratchet) “I love autumn and this captured that beginning of fall feeling while also giving us a look at how happy and ridiculously in love David and Patrick are as they settle into their married life. It was like cuddling up in a cozy blanket and having a hot cocoa. Foxtails is one of my favorite authors because their writing is so beautiful.”

A very specific store (@startswithhope) “Well for a start you should read everything that startswithhope writes because they are amazing, but this fic is one I always come back to. It's an AU where Christmas World didn't pull out and David meets Patrick when he applies for a job to work there. It's about Christmas in July which is both fun and appropriate for this time of year 🙂There's fluff and humour and falling in love, with a dash(-er ) of pining too. You'll feel as though all your Christmas wishes have come true in July if you read this sweet and jolly fic.” what my head overlooks the senses will show to my heart (cromarty) “Goddddddd David falling in love with Patrick over the phone and then deciding to go for it and Patrick being his usual sassy self and ALEXIS BEING HER EXCELLENT SELF.”

You are the only, only, only (@designatedgrape) “Athletic!David? Need I say more? Also minor angst and university AU and did I mention Sporty!David?”

#friends of farm witches #sc fic rec #sc fanfic #schitts creek fic #schitt's creek fic #schitt's creek fanfic #David Rose #Patrick Brewer #david x patrick

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crowdsourcedloner · 10 months

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so one of my big hangups over Nailah right now is the lack of an ingame model for her, so this post will be talking about how i see her vague cloud self and ideas for how she could look as well as general female hrothgar rambles. (it’s long and all speculative and incredibly self indulgent)

okay so to start, i’m gonna reference this art (from the shadowbringers artbook)

this is, to my knowledge, one of the few images we have for femhroth, outside of the bozja mural seen in a STQ cutscene. it’s concept art for the queen we fight at the end of delubrum reginae, which is a female roegadyn in the final game (due to lack of female hroth models). there understandably isn’t a lot of detail to her, as the artist was probably more concerned with the queen’s throne doodads, but from what we can see she has a more humanoid face than male hroth have. is this intentional? is it just placeholder? why does this image interest me so much? well...

this is a female ronso from ffx. while ffxiv’s hrothgar are distinct from ronso, they were used as inspiration (one of the male faces has a horn option to call back to kimahri as well as the lost’s color palette being similar to ronso palettes). female ronso have less bestial faces than male ronso (to my eyes) and i expect this to carry over into ffxiv’s female hrothgar as well. do i like this hypothetical decision of less bestial femhroth? i don’t know. i don’t have much faith in the developers going through with a full monster girl. i do know that female au ra had a massive shift towards their current more petite appearance compared to some of their concepts (included in the heavensward artbook) and i wouldn’t be surprised if the developers wanted a more cutesy or conventionally attractive model for femhroth. i’m rooting for the more bestial model ideas personally, but i’ve made peace with the potential for something else. i’ll work with whatever they give me. a good example of the more bestial look i’m thinking of is karmaho’s work, check them out here. their scholar design is beautiful! another look that feels likely to me is the below image.

this is fanart of a genderbent kimahri (artist credit here). this image feels closest to what we’re getting for two (relatively arbitrary) reasons: her skin color and ear placement matches the queen in the shadowbringers concept art and she’s quite human compared to kimahri’s original design. the art is also just really cool and i wanted to show it to y’all.

so how does this tie into Nailah?

there is a pretty big difference between the two potentials for female hrothgar, which makes it weird to decide a face for her. i have a few color palettes i’m between though! and no matter what, she will have glorious fluffy hair. i’m not budging on that. her potential color palettes include genderbent kimahri (its so soft! and pretty! and her eyes work so well!) or something like a snow leopard (white fur with dark markings and striking blue/yellow eyes! monochrome color scheme my beloved!) or a dark blue concept (dark blue/purple skin with black hair and golden eyes! close to a panther!) or something like a pale calico (pale markings that you can barely see! she looks so gentle!) or... who knows! maybe the character creator will hit me with something new! there could be fur patterns that capture my imagination! until then, she’s just my vague cloud child of infinite possibilities and i love her.

#female hrothgar #its nailahposting hours #...that'll be my headcanon tag lmao #this post is long and unhinged #but really fun to make #i'm on the biggest copium for fanfest y'all have no idea

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sunsetofdoom · 1 year

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I posted 2,587 times in 2022

43 posts created (2%)

2,544 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@tearlessrain

@alexsrandomramblings

@chokopoppo

@the-doodly-noodle

@the-son-of-dathomir

I tagged 1,186 of my posts in 2022

#our flag means death - 461 posts

#hzd - 38 posts

#our flag means death - 24 posts

#hfw - 22 posts

#;-; - 21 posts

#swtor - 15 posts

#oh my god - 14 posts

#my writing - 9 posts

#avad/ersa - 8 posts

#blackbonnet - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 121 characters

#aloy is like 'well i could proceed with saving the world. or' and lists off all the sidequests she could be doing instead

My Top Posts in 2022:

Finally finished a fic for once in my life! You know how everyone makes “Avad gets pegged” jokes? Y’all better put your money where your fucking mouth is.

Let Her Be Soft, And Let Her Be Mine

title from this poem, swapped pronouns

It almost hurt to think about- probing the barriers he put up in his thoughts, not letting himself dwell on his trivial love affair when there were so many more important things to worry about. But Ersa was right there, the memory of her vibrant and shining. The lines on her skin, sun-darkened wherever her armor didn’t protect her and pale where it did, the calluses on her hands, the steadying way she touched him. Her scars- he’d spent ages over the years mapping them with his hands, his mouth; the whip marks on her back, the slave-brand on her shoulder, pockmarks on her thigh where the sparks of an explosion had caught her. The way she blushed, up to her ears and halfway down her chest, when he kissed every one like they were precious. She never made a sound- they had to be so careful- but often tangled her hand into his hair as her breathing deepened and stuttered. Always caught off-guard by his affection.

38 notes - Posted January 23, 2022

it’s About the inherent eroticism of the title “Captain”

54 notes - Posted March 25, 2022

everybody knows cats are witches

(a continuation of the daemon AU I started here, though really all the context you should need, even if you don’t know the general concept, is that Stede’s familiar is a golden retriever)

“It’s quite ridiculous,” Stede complained. His teacup sloshed in his hand, half-forgotten as he gestured. “Half my crew honestly thinks you’re a witch! This can’t just be Blackbeard’s fearsome reputation, Ed. Really, what have you done to them?”

Ed narrowed his eyes, a familiar smile twisting the shaggy beard, and said, “Come with us.”

Curious, Stede did, settling the teacup back in its saucer and rising to follow with Polly clicking gaily along at his heels. Likewise, Asher padded down the hall in front of Ed, a bit further away than would be comfortable for Stede and Polly; they seemed to have a longer range they could inhabit before the symptoms of human and daemon separation, a tight chest and emotional distress, began to plague them. Ash held his black tail high as he sauntered coolly over the mahogany floors, the very tip flicking back and forth with princely pride. At the end of the hall he jumped up onto the railing of the stairs, perching with all four of his paws in a straight line, and Ed gestured Stede and Polly up the stairs ahead of him.

When they were halfway up the staircase, he flickered his half-gloved fingers in a quiet good-bye. He stayed standing at the base of the stairs, and Asher continued his way up the banister, unconcerned with the distance they were putting between themselves.

Polly froze, her tail tucking between her legs. “Ed...”

He waved goodbye more emphatically, sauntering away in his big enormous boots with his hands on his hips. He was almost ten entire feet from his daemon, and even looking at him made Stede’s chest feel tight with sympathetic pain.

“Come on, then,” Asher drawled from the top of the stairs, rising up onto the decks, his dark fur catching the sunlight. “We don’t have all day.”

With one more nervous flick of his eyes to Ed’s retreating back, Stede followed.

Emerging above-decks was still a novelty, after all this time. The wind, the sunlight hammering down, the salt in the air catching on the back of his tongue- it was overwhelming and beautiful and terrifying. Polly shook her head, golden fur flying, and let her tongue hang out as she panted with an enormous doggy grin.

In front of them was Asher, intimately familiar- his dusty black fur, his scarred, torn ears, the ready-to-pounce tension of him even as he groomed himself meticulously. His tail swished back and forth against the wood of the deck, and he looked as though the entire world would wait until he was done cleaning himself- exactly like Ed, that absolute confidence in his own ridiculousness right up until the flash of claws the second they felt ridiculous.

Except Ed wasn’t there.

“Ash!” The deck tilting like he might be sick, Stede grabbed onto Polly, fisting his hand in her fur. Like their closeness could make up for Ed and Asher’s distance. He couldn’t quite tell if he or Polly had said Asher’s name; perhaps it was both of them at once.

Ash licked his paw, scrubbing furiously at the graying jowls of his face, appearing totally at ease. Alone. Oh, God, he was alone, with no human being to lean against or depend on, a thing of horror and revulsion like a human without a head. One of his ragged black ears twitched, and he stopped abruptly, put his paw down, and trotted away.

Stede pulled himself up by the banister, and followed, his face screwed up in concentration and worry.

The upper deck was empty at the moment, Izzy and Buttons both apparently busy elsewhere, so there was no one to scream or faint at the sight of a daemon with no human- all the more terrifying and unnatural for Asher’s nonchalance. Seemingly without rhyme or reason, Ash sat down in the middle of the deck, his tail curling around his paws until he looked like a statuette.

Dizzy, Stede leaned on Polly where she was a solid weight against his thigh. Where was Ed? Was he alright, was this hurting him? They ought to have been doubled over in pain, their bond stretched too far for anything but crumpling up into a ball of agony and grief. He looked out past Asher and onto the sea to the south, the expanse of blue sky, and wondered if this was the same scene Ed could see, out of the window of the cabin...

The cabin which was right beneath the deck.

Ash stared up at them, green eyes pinprick-small in the bright daylight, and blinked slowly.

“But you’re not far from him at all,” Stede said out loud, for Polly’s benefit; she was still held tense against his leg. “He’s just in the cabin below. You’re still within range.”

A pleased, husky trill quivered in Ash’s throat, and he stretched out of his picture-perfect pose to trot over and touch noses with Polly. She whined with relief, nuzzling him as his battle-scarred head bumped up against her muzzle.

“See?,” he said, his silky-dark voice wry and amused. He turned, brushing Polly’s nose just barely with the tip of his tail as he walked away. “Scares the shit out of people.”

“Hey, boss?” As if to demonstrate, Frenchie pounded his way up the stairs, sugar glider daemon riding on his shoulder. Technically, crewmen weren’t allowed on the upper deck without an invitation from the captain or mates; such a rule had never been something Stede enforced, though at the moment he rather wished he had.

Catching sight of the lonely black cat daemon, Frenchie froze, his eyes enormous. The sugar glider squeaked, scurrying up into his hair and hiding on top of his head, shaking all over.

Asher saw the twitchy rodent movement and his green eyes dilated. A throaty noise burbled from him as he crouched down, tail lashing and claws digging into the deck, ready to pounce.

Frenchie screamed. Not bothering with the stairs, he vaulted over the railing and fell the full ten feet to the lower deck.

Shouting, Stede rushed to the rail to make sure he was alright, Polly barking in distress at his heels. Frenchie seemed to have caught himself on a pile of boxes, and was struggling to get out of the one he’d broken, stuck in what appeared to be a pile of spare sewing rags from their flag contest that absolutely no one had bothered to put away. He was tangled in scraps of fabric and trying to fight his way free, still squeaking with panic, and right on comedic cue the sugar glider sailed in her small downward spiral and landed spread-eagled on his face.

Straining forward, Ash craned his neck and tilted his head, trying to see- he must have hit the edges of his and Edward’s range, what a relief to see that they had one- and began to laugh.

See the full post

79 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

not one hair of you would I rearrange

“Who named you?” Ed asked, mumbling around the end of the pipe in his mouth. “Never met a nob that’d name their kids’ daemon something s’common as Polly.” Nobs always had long daemon names, the very devil to pronounce and never worth remembering, and they were always out of some book or play that no one in their right mind had ever heard of.

“Ah,” Stede said, looking a little bashful as he put his bookmark between the pages, Polly a liquid lump of dog where she was lying on his slippers. Before them, the fire roared, leaving the cabin an oasis of cozy warmth among the old, comforting sounds of the waves against the hull. “It is, I’m afraid, a short form- her name is Polyhymnia. For one of the Greek muses, I believe.”

“I like Polly better,” she murmured from the floor, her normally-cheerful voice subdued and relaxed from the heat of the fire, and Stede leaned down to ruffle the long, golden hair around her ears. Her coat matched perfectly to his blond hair, and she looked clean and soft and rumpled, just like Stede in his dressing-gown.

“And you?” He asked politely, sitting back up. “Why Asher?”

Asher, taking up space on Ed’s chest, heaved a toothy yawn. He matched Ed the same way- midnight-black in their youth, he had faded over the years to the color of stormclouds on the horizon, fur going gray towards the jowled sides of his face. A thick, ragged tomcat with one ripped-up ear and singed whiskers, he’d left scars on the noses of daemons from here to High Brazil.

“Dunno,” he replied, his voice as low and dark as the voice in the back of Edward’s head that told him when everything was about to go to shit. “Biblical, maybe.”

“Mum was a God-botherer,” Ed agreed, drawing on his pipe and letting the smoke flow away with the words. Stede was the first person he’d spoken to about his mother in more than twenty years.

Stede pursed his lips, brow furrowing as he looked at his bookshelf like the answer was to be found there; Ed wondered if he had a Bible somewhere in those unreadable shelves, just for the sake of having it. That seemed like the sort of thing Stede would do, even if he never said a word about God either way.

“Genesis,” Polly contributed from the floor. “Jacob’s son,”

“Joseph’s brother! Yes,” Stede completed her sentence like always, snapping his fingers. “Sold his younger brother into slavery for spite and jealousy... something of a, er, despicable character.” He leveled Ed with a look that was somehow both fond and guilty.

“That’s us,” Asher stretched out his claws, clinking them against the wood of the pipe with the absolute confidence of an animal who never gave a single damn about being a nuisance. “Despicable all over.”

His weight on Ed’s chest was unfamiliar. They spent twenty years stretching their range, step by step and month by month, slowly gouging out space in their heart-deep bond that let Ash perch above-decks even when Blackbeard was ensconced away in the cabin, scaring the absolute pants off of the crew. The throaty pang of grief and pain in his chest was a constant, and its removal left him feeling almost weightless.

Ever since Stede had come into their lives, Asher circled closer and closer, both of them falling helplessly into his orbit. Ed took tea with him. Ash left dead rats at his doorstep. Edward taught him sword tricks in the dead of night while Asher and Polly play-fought at their feet, Ash rolling on his back and inviting a dog three times his size to snap at his belly.

And now Asher was lying on top of him, self-satisfied as a housecat. He wasn’t even keeping watch.

“When’d you settle?” Ed asked. Their silences were comfortable, but God almighty there was so much he wanted to know about Stede Bonnet, how in the Hell he’d ended up here, at sea in general and within arms’ reach in particular.

Sighing, Stede ran his bookmark over the edges of his fingers; Ed had felt less guilt about cutting mens’ hands off than he did for keeping Stede from his peaceful reading. “I was fourteen,” he said with a soft regret. “It was just before we left school- that school, at least. It inspired as much mockery as anything we did.” He glanced up, his eyes glinting in the fire-light. “A dog, you know- servants’ animals.” He took on a ridiculous and terrible approximation of those fickle Frenchmen, leveling the insult at him.

“Fucking cunts,” Ed said mildly.

Shrugging with faint agreement, Stede smiled in that soft, sad way that made Edward want to fold him up and protect him from the world.

He stretched out to kick his boots up onto the arm of the sofa, jostling Asher, who glared at him with one poison-green eye. “We settled young,” he said, trying to distract Stede from whatever recollection he’d fallen into. “Before any of the other kids, at least. My dad said I was a fucking witch.” Aside from telling that stupid fucking Kraken story, he hadn’t spoken about his father in decades, either.

“Very witchy animal, a black cat,” Stede concurred, smiling at Ash, who preened. Nobody else would’ve thought it, from Blackbeard’s ghoul of a familiar, but Ed knew him from the torn tips of his ears to the pads of his little asshole feet, and Asher was glowing with attention. “Really quite frightening. My peers, though, quickly deduced that Polly was no threat.”

Ed turned over on his elbow, shoving Ash when his tail dropped down in front of his eyes. Polly, in her place in front of the fire, was an average-sized, heavyset dog with clear eyes and strong legs; her constant, dopey smile obscured the fact that she was mouth-focused and picked up or bit everything in sight, and she went to point whenever Stede showed interest in anything. She was almost as attentive to the scrape of a rat in the ship as Asher, and he’d been a ratter his whole alley-cat life. “She’s got to be a hunting breed, though,” he said.

Stede shrugged again. “Perhaps,” he allowed. “My father, though, bred hunting dogs his whole life long, and he could make neither hide nor hair of her.” His tone said quite well that his father had been just as baffled by Stede himself.

Polly shifted, going from her inelegant splay across Stede’s feet to a tight ball on the rug, her enormous tail- so furry that it flapped like a fan when she wagged it- slapping down tight over the tip of her nose. Duly curled up, she heaved a woebegone sigh.

With a splay of his claws calculated to land right on Ed’s bare arm, Asher stretched luxuriously. In a show of nonchalance, he sat up, shook his head, cleaned his face, and with a clink of his claws against the buckles of Ed’s jacket, leapt to the floor.

“Fucking ow,” Ed muttered, rubbing his fingers along the small puncture wounds on his bicep, Asher’s asshole love-notes a lifelong sensation.

Asher padded over to Polly where she was curled up, plopped his enormous black backside next to her, and set his head on her shoulders. The rest of his body followed like water being poured into a shaped glass, drooping contentedly to the floor with the peculiar grace of a cat who was exactly where he wanted to be.

The silence settled into comfort, mood returning to contented laziness as Ed watched his daemon’s chest rise and fall as he breathed. Jesus fucking wept, how long had it been since that cat touched another daemon in something other than violence? Decades. More, probably. Asher regularly stalked and threatened Izzy’s kestrel daemon, knocking her from her perches around the ship; anything smaller than a bear was fair game for menacing, really. He’d even once managed to get a solid strike on Fang’s enormous golden eagle, clawing his way up into the rigging to drop down onto her back and pin her to the deck when she fell, snapping one of her strong wings with a noise like a dry branch.

And here he was snuggled up against a kennel-club, blue-ribbon princess of a dog, her angelic curls sparkling beside his patchy, dusty, ragged black fur.

“Ed,” Stede said into his book, and his head turned so fast it hurt, “forgive me if I’m being forward. But since we’re speaking of it...”

See the full post

110 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

so unfortunately for you all the above post inspired a daemons AU for these idiots

“And you?” He asked politely, sitting back up. “Why Asher?”

Ash, taking up space on Ed’s chest, heaved a toothy yawn. He matched Ed the same way- midnight-black in their youth, he had faded over the years to the color of stormclouds on the horizon, fur going gray towards the jowled sides of his face. A thick, ragged tomcat with one ripped-up ear and singed whiskers, he’d left scars on the noses of daemons from here to High Brazil.

“Dunno,” he replied, his voice as low and dark as the voice in the back of Edward’s head that told him when everything was about to go to shit. “Biblical, maybe.”

“Mum was a God-botherer,” Ed agreed, drawing on his pipe and letting the smoke flow away with the words.

318 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #alright yeah this all tracks #sorry about the long post lads

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